Not About You
by invisame
Summary: Stefan and Damon have a new friend that accepts them unconditionally. How will her presence change the story? And how far will they go to protect her? warning: slight Elena bashing. Sorry she makes me unhappy. I own nothing but my original character. (started as a one-shot, now expanded.)
1. Chapter 1

"Why are you even here again?" Elena asked me as she opened the door to the boarding house, her dark eyes looking me over.

"Elena!" Caroline chastised from behind her. I ignored them both and stepped past them into the house. Elena and I had never gotten along and it had only gotten worse since she became aware of the supernatural. It wasn't my fault my father's best friend was a vampire. I'd grown up in that world, but Elena seemed to take it as a personal insult every time I knew something she didn't.

"Ah, there's my favorite human," Damon said as I walked into the living room. I gave him a little smile and didn't even have to look at Elena to feel the irritation coming off her.

He poured me a drink and handed it over with a smirk. Stefan came into the room as I sat on the couch and smiled a greeting. "What was it you needed to see us about, Lucy?" he asked. I noticed he didn't look at Elena. They'd only recently broken up because Katherine kept threatening Elena.

I cleared my throat. "I had a run in with your vampy ex-girlfriend today."

Damon had been taking a drink but froze and lowered the glass when I spoke. "Katherine?"

My lips twitched and I sipped the scotch he'd given me. "Unless you two have another ex-girlfriend in common?"

Damon narrowed his eyes and made a face.

"What did she want?" Stefan asked.

"What does Katherine ever want. She wants me to stay away from the two of you." I put the glass down on the table and leaned back on the couch. "I believe her exact words were 'Elena is being a good little pet, why can't you do the same?'"

"Are you serious right now?" Elena snarled at me.

"Why are you getting pissed at me? I didn't say it."

"I just don't understand—"

Stefan held up a hand. "Enough, Elena."

The girl's mouth snapped shut and her bottom lip trembled. "Maybe I should just go home then?"

Stefan turned to look at her then. "Yeah, maybe you should since I told both of you not to come over here in the first place. Caroline, make sure she gets there okay."

He turned back to me and ignored the two women as they left. Damon and I watched them leave then shared a glance. "She's not going to be happy with you tomorrow, little brother."

"It doesn't do a lot of good for us to break up to keep her safe if she's over here all the time. Her leaving in tears will probably make Katherine happier than ever." Irritation laced Stefan's voice though it wasn't clear if it was directed at the vampire or the doppelganger.

"Now, what are we going to do about you, Miss Lucy?" Damon asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing? I only told you guys because I knew you'd get pissed if I didn't. I'm on my own. My only living family is on the other side of the country. You guys are my only friends and she's not likely to hurt you. There isn't anyone for her to threaten."

"Except you," Stefan corrected.

"I can take care of myself. I'm sorry guys but I talk to exactly three people in this town; you two and Ric. I'm not going to quit hanging out with you because of that heifer."

Damon choked on his drink at my nickname for Katherine and coughed. I smirked and picked up my glass to drain the rest of my scotch.

Stefan pushed himself up from his seat. "Well, I guess you're just going to have to stay here then."

I blinked up at him in surprise.

"What a brilliant idea, baby brother." My eyes shot to Damon to find him smirking as per usual.

"Um…do I get a say in this?" I finally found my voice to ask.

"No. You don't," Stefan said as he poured himself a drink. "I won't have you running around out there unprotected with a target on your back. You're too important. To both of us."

While I appreciated their desire to see me safe, I was irritated that they were trying to dictate my life. "I can take care of myself, Stefan. You know that."

Damon moved next to me and pulled me to my feet. He draped a heavy arm over my shoulders. "We're not saying you can't kick ass when the occasion calls for it, Luce. We're saying that we would feel better if you were here where we could keep an eye on you and help you out if need be. Okay?"

I frowned. "God, Salvatore. I hate it when you're all reasonable like. It's so much easier to argue with you when you're a dick."

I yawned as I came down the stairs the next morning. I was dressed in a pair of boxers and one of Damon's old t-shirts. The brothers were supposed to run me by my house to get my stuff sometime today.

I froze at the bottom of the steps when I saw Elena leaning against the wall across from me. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she looked me over from top to bottom.

"Morning, Elena."

"You're not very good at following instructions," she said. She flashed to me and pushed me against the wall, her hand wrapped around my throat.

"Katherine," I hissed out, my mistake obvious now that the vampire was trying to kill me.

She leaned her face close to my neck and took a deep breath. "You're just lucky you smell like Damon and not Stefan. Now, I want you to leave here and never come back."

Her hand released me and she watched me expectantly, obviously waiting for me to do as she ordered.

I wrapped a hand around my neck and scowled at the vampire wishing I had anything that would pass for a stake. "We're at an impasse here, Katherine. You see, I practically live on vervain and if you kill me, neither of them will ever forgive you for it. And while you are telling yourself right now that you're okay with that because they'll be yours, you and I both know they wouldn't really be, would they?"

"I'm going to rip your heart out."

I arched a brow. "Boys! The bitch is back!"

Katherine backhanded me, sending me to the floor with the force of the blow as pain exploded through my cheek. Almost before I could blink, Damon was standing between me and Katherine and Stefan was helping me off the floor. "You okay?" he asked, his voice low. I gave a nod, wincing at the pain in my neck. Stefan ran his fingers over the soon to be bruises and frowned.

I hadn't even been paying attention to whatever Damon said to the vampire, but my eyes trailed her as she sashayed out the door. "Remember, Damon. Get rid of her or you'll regret it."

"Good morning," I said after a moment to break the tension.

Damon spun to look at me with an arched brow. "I got her, Stef." He looped an arm around my shoulders and led me to the couch in the living room. "You okay?"

Not really, but I just shrugged instead of saying that. Stefan came into the room after a moment and handed me a mug of coffee. I wrapped my hands around it, taking comfort in its warmth. "No offense, boys, but I'm not really feeling safe at the moment."

Stefan scratched at the back of his neck. "Believe it or not, we have a plan for that. It was going to be taken care of today anyway."

I just blinked at him, not following this conversation at all. "I have not had enough caffeine for this."

"Our attorney is coming. We're signing the house over to you. Once you own it, no vampire can get in without being invited," Damon explained.

My brows shot up in my hairline. That was a big deal. "Seriously? Why would you do that?"

"Because you're important. You accepted us both unconditionally. That's a rare thing, Lucy, whether you realize it or not," Stefan answered.

I ducked my head and grinned. "So where are you two going to live?"

"So, wait…they're just giving you their house?" Elena asked for the third time while she sat watching me fill out the paperwork.

I just glanced up at the girl without saying anything. I'd already answered this question. As had Stefan and Damon. Stefan had called Caroline to tell her she needed to come over to be invited in and she had told Elena and here we were.

When we finished, the attorneys left and I moved to the door. The Salvatores and Caroline stood outside waiting for their invitations. "Would the three of you like to come in?" I offered, holding open the door.

Damon came in last. He pecked my cheek and hooked an arm around my waist. "Feel better?"

I nodded.

"I don't understand why you gave the house to her," Elena started up again from the living room.

I rolled my eyes and leaned into Damon's side, pressing my lips against his ear. "Could you turn her into a vampire so I can keep her out of the house?"

"I don't think Stefan would be very happy with you if you did that," he said, laughter in his voice.

We stepped into the living room and Damon went over to pour us both a drink. He handed mine to me and I sipped the liquid, enjoying the burn.

"It's not like you've known her longer. We both met you when you first came to town. You could have given it to me," Elena pouted from her spot on the couch.

"Seriously?" I breathed out, annoyed. "You know I'm standing right here? And you're not even a legal adult."

"Leave it, Lucy," Damon said. "It's so not worth it."

"Elena," Stefan said standing. "I think it's time I told you something that may come as something of a shock to you. It's not always about you."


	2. Chapter 2

"Lucy."

I groaned and tried to shut out the voice that hissed my name.

"Lucy."

It was a little louder this time. More insistent.

I blinked my eyes open to find myself laying on a couch in a rundown room. Elena sat on the floor in front of me, staring at me worriedly. She sighed in relief when she saw me looking at her.

I tried to remember how I'd gotten here and it all came back to me. I'd accompanied the Salvatores to the masquerade last night just in case they needed backup while taking down Katherine, the psychotic bitch. Elena had shown up despite the efforts that were made to keep her out of it. I'd been waiting for the brothers when I saw someone grab Elena. When I tried to intervene, I got knocked out.

I sighed. Once again, Miss Gilbert had gotten herself in trouble and this time I was along for the ride. This was just fantastic.

"Do you know what's going on?" I asked her as I sat up. Pain shot through my head and neck and I grimaced. My hand shot up, only to come back covered in blood.

She shook her head and sat beside me. "Not really. Two vampires have us. They want to turn me over to someone named Elijah."

"And what the hell happened to me? I remember the head but what happened to my neck?"

Her cheeks flushed and she looked down. "The male vampire, I think his name is Trevor, wanted to feed from me but the other one wouldn't let him. She said you were fair game though. I'm sorry, Lucy."

Irritation flared through me but what good would it do. What was done was done.

"Oh good, you're awake," a female voice said and I looked up to see a red-headed vampire standing at the top of a flight of stairs.

"He's here. He's here," a male said and started running around the room anxiously. "I'm not sure this was a good idea."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. It was a little late for him to be thinking that now. I just wanted to get this over with and go home. Surely the boys were looking for us by now.

"Please don't let him take me," Elena whined from beside me.

"Us," I automatically corrected.

She looked at me with a frown. "What?"

I rolled my eyes. "There's two of us, Elena. It's not just you."

An elegant man in a suit appeared at the top of the stairs interrupting our conversation. Relief flooded through me as I saw him. When Elena said Elijah, I had no reason to think she was referring to my father's best friend. I hadn't seen him in a few years, but he looked exactly the same, of course. I could only hope he recognized me. He only had eyes for Elena however.

Once he'd ascertained that she was indeed human, he turned his attention to me. He tilted his head to the side and furrowed his brows. _Hello, Lucy_ , he mouthed to me. "Why is she here?" he asked while keeping his eyes on me.

"She was there when we took the doppelganger. We had to take her, too," the male explained.

Elijah closed his eyes as if praying to some long-forgotten deity for patience. When he opened them, he rolled his eyes and gave me a little half smile before turning to face the vampires again. "And why is she bleeding?"

"I was hungry?"

I watched as Elijah dealt with both vampires, beheading the male and telling the female, Rose he called her, to let it go. When he came back over he looked at me. "Where are you living now?"

"Mystic Falls."

His eyes widened. I'd still been in California the last time I saw him. "Obviously, we have some catching up to do. I'll take you home."

I nod then we suddenly heard breaking glass from upstairs. "Who else is here?" he asked looking at all three of us.

"I don't know," Rose answered. Elena and I shook our heads. I had a feeling it was the Salvatores but I couldn't be sure and I didn't want Elijah letting his guard down on my say so. He looked between Elena and me.

"I can take care of myself," I said.

He arched a brow and gave me a cockeyed smile before grabbing Elena and rushing her up the stairs and into the entryway. I followed behind at a much more human pace.

When I arrived at the top of the stairs, I watched Elijah get shot through the hand with a stake and I yelped in surprise. Before I could say or do anything else, I was grabbed and rushed to another area. Damon looked down at me his hand over my mouth. I shook my head and tugged at his wrist but he wouldn't relent.

"I want the girls on the count of three or heads will roll," I heard Elijah demand in the front hallway.

I kicked Damon in the shin and he scowled at me, but finally moved his hand so I could talk. "You need to stop this. He's my friend, my family."

"You can't be serious, Lucy. He kidnapped you."

I shook my head. "No, he didn't. Someone else did. He was going to bring me home."

Damon looked at me with a furrowed brow. Elijah yelled and both of our heads jerked in that direction. Damon rushed toward the sound and I ran behind. "No!" I screamed when I saw Elijah about to rip Stefan's heart out. Elijah stopped and glanced at me as Damon drove a large piece of wood into his chest.

My vision blurred and I dropped to my knees as one of the most important men in my life was pinned to the door like a butterfly on display. "No, no, no, no, no, no."

Arms wrapped around me and I buried my head in Damon's chest so Elijah's gray face was blocked from my vision. He hooked a hand around the back of my neck and I gripped his shirt in my hands. I gasped, struggling to breathe, to ease the tightness in my chest. Elijah was gone. "Shh, It's okay, Luce. I've got you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry but I had to save Stefan."

I sucked in a breath. "I know."

A warm hand rested on my back. "Is she okay?" Stefan asked.

"Apparently, we misread the situation. He wasn't the one that took them. Lucy said he was family," Damon explained, keeping me pulled tightly against his chest the entire time.

"I'm sorry, Lucy."

I needed to pull myself together. I concentrated on regulating my breathing and pulled away from Damon, releasing his now horribly wrinkled shirt as I did so. "Sorry. Just give me a second."

"It's fine. Take your time," Stefan told me as he rubbed my back.

"Can we go?" Elena asked as she stepped up behind Stefan. "I've had a really bad day and just want to go home."

I huffed out a laugh. She had no concept of a truly bad day. "Not now, Elena," Damon said.

"But—" she started but Stefan cut her off. "Enough, Elena."

My eyes followed her as she went over to sulk on the stairs.

Damon grasped my chin and turned my head to see the bite on my neck. "What's this?"

"Kidnapper got the munchies." I looked between the brothers and gave them the best smile I could muster, which wasn't much. "Let's just go. I need to get out of here."

"You sure you're okay?" Damon asked quietly.

"No, I'm not, but I can't stay here anymore."

He nodded and helped me to my feet, keeping his arm around me. "Stef, you and Elena take the back. I want her up front with me."

"Yeah, sure," Stefan said with no hesitation.

I kept my head down and pressed against Damon's chest so I wouldn't get another glimpse of Elijah. That wasn't how I wanted to remember him. The elder Salvatore pressed a kiss to my head then swept me up in his arms to carry me to his car. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I laid my head against his chest and let him take care of me.


	3. Chapter 3

When we arrived back at the boarding house, Stefan escorted Elena home and Damon took me up to my room. "You going to be okay?" he asked before he shut my door.

I shook my head. No, I didn't think I was. "Right now, all I want is a shower and some pajamas" I tried to run a hand through my gnarled hair and grimaced when I hit the bump from being knocked out. My eyes darted back up to his. "I hate to ask, but could I have some blood? My head's killing me and I'm not sure running around with a bite on my neck is the best move."

He stepped toward me, a sad smile on his face. "You don't have to explain, Luce. All you have to do is ask." Sitting beside me, he bit into his wrist and held it out to me. I wrapped my mouth around the wound and sucked out a small amount. My injuries weren't severe so I didn't need much to heal them. I leaned my head against his shoulder for a minute before standing up.

"All right. I'm going to take a shower. I'll be down after. I don't really want to be alone right now."

He stood and kissed my forehead. He kept his hand cupped around the back of my head and smirked. "Need some help?"

I shoved him away from me playfully. "Get out of here, Salvatore."

He laughed all the way out the door. I locked it behind him and took my shower.

* * *

I had just finished putting my wet hair up in a clip to keep it off my neck when I heard Stefan call my name. I frowned but headed out my door and down the steps. I'd forgotten to put anything on my feet and they were cold by the time I got to the bottom.

Both brothers were in the front hall with the door open, talking to someone on the porch. "What's going on?" I asked and they turned to face me. They stepped to the side so I could see who they were talking to.

It was Rose, the bitch of a vampire that was responsible for kidnapping Elena, and by extension, me. Which in my mind meant she was ultimately responsible for Elijah's death. My face fell as I looked between the brothers. "What is this?"

"We need you to invite her in," Stefan said and Damon shook his head. Obviously, they didn't agree on whether or not the vampire should be allowed inside the house.

"She kidnapped Elena. And me."

"She has information that we need to know," the younger Salvatore insisted.

"She doesn't have to be inside the house to give you information. The whole point of me owning the house is so strange vampires can't get in." I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at them.

"I followed you here because Lexi told me that Stefan was one of the good ones. I've been with Trevor for five hundred years and he's gone. I don't want to be alone anymore," the vampire on our doorstep told me.

I arched a brow. I was supposed to care she was lonely, why? Yeah, I could hold a grudge. Lexi hadn't been in town since Stefan's birthday. Not that I blamed her; Damon had almost killed her before I talked him out of it. "Stef, give me your phone. Mine's upstairs."

He pulled his cell phone out and tossed it to me. I caught it and scrolled through the contacts until I got to Lexi. I pressed the call button and waited. "Stefan!" came the answer and I smiled.

"Sorry, Sexy. It's Lucy." I turned away from all of them to walk into the kitchen.

"Even better. What's going on, sweet stuff?"

I turned on the faucets before I answered. "What do you know about a vampire named Rose? She says she knows you and you told her about Stefan."

Lexi thought for a moment. "Yeah, I remember her. English, right?"

"Yep."

"She was okay. Seemed nice enough. I only hung out with her for a couple of months. Why?" Concern laced her voice.

I huffed a short laugh. "She kidnapped me and Elena and got someone important to me killed. Now, the boys want me to invite her in. Can't say as I'm inclined to do that."

"Oh, sweetie. I'm sorry. I guess the boys finally gave you the house though, huh?" I hummed in agreement and she continued. "I can't tell you what to do. I'm not there and don't have all the information. What I do know is that Stefan and Damon love you. They would do anything for you. So, if they want you to invite her in, then what she knows must be important. And they must not think she's a threat."

I smiled at that. She was right. "I miss you, Lex. Don't be a stranger."

"I'll visit soon. Tell Stefan to call me and fill me in."

We said our goodbyes and I hung up, feeling better just for having heard her voice.

I shut off the water and walked back to the front of the house, tossing Stefan his phone. "Call her later."

"What did she say?" he asked.

"They weren't quite as close as Rose is trying to make it seem but Lexi didn't know anything bad about her. She also told me to trust you so that's what I'm doing. Just know that I don't like this. Rose, you may come in."

She gave me a hesitant smile and stepped over the threshold. "Thank you."

I nodded and leaned against Damon's side as he stepped back to wrap an arm around my waist. "Can we talk in the morning? I'm wiped."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," Stefan agreed. "Rose, I'll show you to a room."

I linked my hand in Damon's and tugged him toward the stairs. "Come on, vampire."

"If you wanted me in bed, all you had to do was ask, kitten." I arched a brow at the nickname and turned to find him smirking as he trailed behind me.

Rather than giving him the response he wanted, I just pulled him along until we arrived at his bedroom which was down the hall from mine. I turned to face him and linked our other hands together as well. "I don't want to be alone tonight, and your room is far more impressive than mine. Okay?"

His smirk faded into a real smile. It was small but genuine. "Yeah, kitten. It's okay. Come on." He opened his door and led me inside. He shut and locked it behind us but I didn't say anything. I felt better with it locked with a strange vampire in the house. He disappeared into his closet for a minute and came back wearing only pajama pants. My eyes ran over his torso and I sucked in a breath. The man was gorgeous. I could hate him and I'd still have to admit that.

He slid into the bed and patted the empty space beside him. I let my hair down and crawled in beside him, resting my head on his chest. "Sorry my hair's wet."

He laughed and his chest shifted beneath me. "I think I'll live. Go to sleep, Luce." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and wrapped his arms around me. Within minutes, I was asleep.

 **A/N: Thank you for the overwhelming support for this story. So many follows, reviews and favorites. I hope I can live up to your expectations. And yay! Lexi lives!**


	4. Chapter 4

I woke in the morning in almost the same position I went to sleep in. Damon's thumb was rubbing on the skin of my arm. "Morning, kitten," he said in a sleepy voice.

"If you call me kitten one more time, Salvatore, I will geld you." There was no venom in my words but he seriously needed to find a new nickname for me. That one just wasn't going to work.

He laughed and his chest moved beneath me. "I wondered how long it was going to take you to complain. Don't worry, Lucy. You're no kitten. I know that."

I shook my head at his antics and rolled over on my back. "Thanks for letting me bunk with you last night, Damon." He reached down and linked my hand in his. "We should probably go talk to Rose."

I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, finger combing through the tangles. That's what I got for sleeping on wet hair. "I'm going to get dressed then I'll be down. Stefan should probably call Elena. She was the target. I assume it has to do with her looking like Katherine the heifer. Elijah seemed surprised she was human when he saw her."

"Okay, boss lady." I rolled my eyes and headed for my room. I slid on a pair of jeans and a Halestorm t-shirt. After combing the tangles from my hair, I put it up in a messy bun.

When I went downstairs, I made a beeline for the kitchen. I poured myself a large cup of coffee and added a generous splash of the Bailey's I kept hidden in the back of the fridge. All three vampires looked at me as I stepped into the living room. I avoided meeting Rose's gaze and smiled as the brothers both sniffed the air. "I left it on the counter," I told them. They could never resist coffee and Bailey's. They headed for the kitchen.

"Thank you for inviting me in," Rose said as I sat at one end of the couch.

"Wasn't my idea."

"You really don't like me, do you?" she asked. I didn't even bother to respond.

A knock sounded on the front door. "I've got it," I called. I opened the door wide and Elena stepped in.

"Stefan called. Said it was important."

I shrugged. "We are apparently going to have a chat with our friendly neighborhood kidnapping vampire."

"What?" Her eyes moved from me to Rose as she too stepped into the entryway.

"Don't ask me. Wasn't my idea," I told her and took a bracing sip of my coffee.

We all headed back to the living room. I reclaimed my seat on the couch and Elena sat next to me. Stefan perched on the back of one chair while Damon stood behind the other and leaned on it. Rose paced in front of us.

"Okay. You have to understand I can only tell you what I've heard. There are so many myths and legends I can't tell you what is real and what isn't," she started.

I sat my cup down and rolled my eyes. "This isn't exactly inspiring a lot of confidence."

"I know Klaus is real," she snapped at me.

"Who is he?" Elena asked.

"One of the Originals. He's a legend," Damon answered.

"He's from the first generation of vampires," Stefan added.

"Niklaus. He's Elijah's brother," I leaned against the back of the couch and crossed my legs. I'd grown up hearing stories about Elijah's past and his family. He might have neglected to mention they were the first vampires, but that didn't invalidate the rest of what he'd told me.

Rose snorted. "Elijah is the Easter Bunny compared to Klaus. He's the real deal."

I arched a brow. That Easter Bunny had beheaded her friend with a slice of his hand. Now she was acting like he was nothing. I guess it was easy to be brave when your boogeyman was dead.

"Klaus is known to be the oldest," Stefan said.

"So, the oldest vampire in the world is coming after me?" Elena asked.

"Yes," said Rose while Stefan and I both said, "No."

"Niklaus is not the oldest." All eyes turned to me. "What? He's not."

"I'm not sure that's really the point of this conversation, Lucy," Damon said though his lips were twitching.

Elena suddenly stood. "I'm going to school."

"You were just informed that one of the most dangerous creatures in the world is after you and you're going to school?" I asked.

Stefan gave me a look as he hopped up as well. "I'll go with you."

"I know where it is," she said, stopping him.

We were all silent until the front door shut behind her. "Can't we just give her to him?" I muttered and all three vampires turned to me. I did my best to look innocent but I'm sure I failed miserably. When no one said anything or even glanced away from me, I threw my hands up in frustration. "Look, I'm sorry. But she's a pain in the ass."

I stood and snatched my cup off the table. "You know in horror movies when the hero says, 'stay here' and the idiot follows him and gets killed? She's the idiot." I turned to Stefan. "I know you care for her, Stefan, but she needs to start thinking things through."

After gathering the boys' mugs as well, I went into the kitchen and washed them all. Damon strolled in just as I finished drying and putting them away. "So, what do you know about Klaus?" he asked.

I leaned on the counter. "Nothing that would interest you. Elijah didn't tell me stories about the Original vampires. He told me stories about family. About love and determination. Nothing I know will help you with him."

He tugged at a strand of hair that had come loose from the bun. "Rose knows someone that may be able to help us find him. We're going to Richmond. Want to come?"

"Sure. Let me find some shoes." I ran off and came back with my tennis shoes and flannel shirt on. I also had stakes strapped to my wrists, but that accessory would stay hidden unless absolutely necessary.

"All right," Damon said and twirled his keys. "I'll drive."

"Not all of us can go out in the sun, Salvatore," Rose told him.

He shrugged, completely unbothered. "Okay. You drive," he told her and looped an arm around my shoulders to steer me to the door.

* * *

We pulled into an underground parking garage and climbed out of Rose's SUV. It had darkly tinted windows that allowed her to drive during the day. Before I fully realized what was happening, Damon had Rose pinned to one of the posts.

"If this is a setup, or you do anything to endanger my human, I will rip your heart out and shove it down your throat. It's something I'm very good at."

They weren't paying any attention to me so by the time Rose took control and pinned him to her car, I had a stake in my hand. "I'm older than you and stronger. Don't get on my bad side," she told him.

I came up behind her and pressed the stake to her back. "And I'm protective and not afraid to get my hands dirty. Don't threaten my friends."

She raised her hands as she took a step back and I put away the weapon. "You can trust me," she insisted. I snorted and Damon rolled his eyes but we followed her nonetheless.

"That was kind of hot," he said as he pressed his side against mine. I shook my head but didn't respond as he held open the door for me to walk into the coffee shop.

I stayed back as Rose met her friend. He spouted off a bunch of facts about Damon and I leaned into my friend's back. "That's kind of creepy," I muttered so only he can hear me. He reached back to grasp my hand but otherwise we all just kind of pretended I wasn't there. I was fine with that.

They ordered coffee and I shook my head. Anxiety rolled through me. Something didn't feel right about all of this. I gestured to the window with my head to let Damon know I was heading that way. He frowned but nodded.

I found an out of the way spot to watch the people passing by and the three of them sat at a table. Eventually my eyes fell on the musician across the street and the man kneeling by his case. Something tugged at me. There was something familiar about the way he wore a suit. He threw a bill into the case and pulled out a handful of coins. Once he stood, he turned to look at the café.

My breath caught in my chest. Elijah. It couldn't be. I'd watched him die. I placed a hand on the glass and tears welled in my eyes. His eyes fell on me and he smiled before pressing a finger to his lips. He jerked his head to the side, indicating he wanted me to come outside. I nodded once and made my way to Damon.

He smiled as I approached the table. "What's up, babe?"

"I've got a friend that wants to meet up while I'm in town. I'll find my own way back." I crossed my arms over my chest hoping he didn't ask too many questions.

"You sure? We could take you when we're done here."

I shook my head. "I'll be fine and don't want you guys waiting on me. I'll text you okay."

He nodded after a moment and I felt his eyes on me as I headed out the back door.

I raced through the garage until I reached the outside entrance. My eyes fell on Elijah once again just as he threw the handful of change at the café. The windows shattered and screams filled the air. My heart raced but Damon would be fine. He had his ring after all.

Elijah's eyes fell on me and he smiled again. He flashed to me and pulled me into a nearby alley where we were hidden from the street. I spent a long moment just looking him over before placing my hand on his cheek.

"I thought you were dead." My breath hitched as I spoke and Elijah pulled me to his chest.

He held me as I sobbed in relief. Eventually, I pulled back and wiped my face, knowing I still looked a mess. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I think we need to talk, little one."

 **A/N: I know I just posted a chapter but I wanted to get this one out. She needed to know Elijah wasn't dead. Poor Lucy. Thanks for reading. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

I sat across from Elijah in the sitting area of a nice hotel room. His legs were crossed and one arm was resting along the back of the couch. His lips pursed as he studied me. I think I was still in shock at seeing him alive because I didn't want to do anything but sit there and study him. "I'm really glad you're not dead."

His lips twitched. "Oh, but I am."

"Don't be a smartass, Elijah. It doesn't suit you."

He smiled at me and reached into his inside jacket pocket. My eyes widened in surprise as he showed me my phone. I hadn't realized he'd slipped it out of my back pocket. "It keeps vibrating. It really is quite annoying. Please tell no one I am alive until we've talked." With that request, he tossed me my phone.

"You little pickpocket." I pulled up the screen and cringed. Damon was going to be furious if he wasn't already. Fifteen texts and five missed calls from him alone and several more from Stefan. The phone vibrated again indicating an incoming call. Stefan. "I'm sorry," I said as I answered the phone.

"Lucy," he sighed. "Are you all right?"

"Why wasn't she answering me?" Damon yelled in the background. "That is not okay, Luce."

"I'm fine, Stefan. I had the phone on silent and didn't realize the vibration was turned off as well. I went to check the time and saw all the messages and calls. You know I wouldn't do it on purpose."

"Calm down, Lucy. It's fine," Stefan assured me.

"The hell it is," Damon added from the background again.

I sighed. "Put him on please." _I'm sorry_ , I mouthed to Elijah and he waved off my apology.

"First, you act weird and antisocial at the café. Then you take off on me. Then the windows blow out of the place and I can't get you on the phone. I was getting ready to have witchy do a locate on you," Damon rattled off.

"I'm sorry." My voice was low, sincere. I really hadn't meant to freak him out. And if I'd been in my right mind, I would have realized that he'd be worried after Elijah attacked the café. Though from the sounds of it, he didn't know that's what had happened.

He sighed and I envisioned the exasperated expression on his face. "Just tell me that you're okay."

"I'm okay."

"You going to be able to get home or you want me to come get you?" he asked. He sounded tired and I felt a little guilty.

"I'm pretty sure my friend can get me home. If not, I'll let you know."

"Stay safe. And answer your damn phone." He hung up without waiting for a response. I turned the volume up on my phone and set it on the table.

"Sorry," I told Elijah. "Now, where should we start?"

"Let's begin with your friends. They seem very concerned with your well-being."

I nodded and bit my lip. "Stefan and Damon Salvatore. They were the ones that rescued Elena and me." I did the finger quotes thing when I said rescued. "They thought they were actually saving us from you. I'm sorry you got stabbed."

"I find myself feeling much more forgiving knowing that they thought they were helping you. And, as you can see, there's no lasting damage."

"Yeah. About that…"

"As I assume your friends have discovered by now, I am one of the Original family, the first vampires. We are extraordinarily hard to kill."

"And the reason you never told me this before?" Honestly, I was a little hurt that he'd kept something so important from me. I'd thought us closer than that.

It must have been evident how I was feeling because he said, "Don't be upset, little one. You just having the information is enough to put you in danger. And I liked that you never looked at me differently. I was always just your Uncle Elijah. I was afraid that would change if you knew everything."

He looked down, picking invisible lint off the legs of his pants. I stood and walked over to sit next to him on the sofa. He remained stiff and stoic until I pressed against his side and laid my head on his shoulder. With that, he sighed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he pressed a kiss to my head. I took his free hand and held it between mine.

"All my blood is gone, Elijah. The only family I have left is the family I've made. I'd be devastated if you weren't part of it." We sat in silence for a long moment after that, just enjoying each other's company.

"So how did you end up in Virginia of all places?"

My cheeks heated as I shrugged. "Would you believe that I threw a dart at a map?"

He leaned away to look down at me and then smiled one of his rare, genuine smiles. "With you? Yes, I would." His gaze ran around the room then came back to rest on me. "I'm not sure you should stay there, though."

My brow furrowed. "Why not?"

He sighed and shifted until he was further down the couch and we were no longer touching. "There is trouble coming to that little town, I'm afraid. I don't want you involved in it."

That made me laugh. "While I appreciate the sentiment, that town is always trouble." I shook my head. "I've expanded my family, Elijah. I won't leave them. But I'll be careful. You know I don't go looking for trouble."

He arched a brow. "Yes, but it has a way of finding you, if I remember correctly."

I smiled. "To put it bluntly, I'm in love with the town and the people there. It's home."

His eyes narrowed and his lips twitched. "Any particular person?"

"Perhaps. We're friends and we flirt, but that's it. I don't think he's really the relationship type."

"Then he's a fool." He stood and he held out a hand to help me up. After he pulled me to my feet he straightened his jacket. "Come, I'll take you home."

* * *

Elijah didn't want anyone to know he was alive yet, so I had him drop me off a short distance from the boarding house and walked the rest of the way. Music drifted from the house which told me Damon was probably drinking alone. My steps picked up a little wanting to see him.

I let myself into the house and closed the door quietly behind me, hoping to surprise him. Making my way to the living room, I paused when I heard voices. Damon and…Rose? What was she still doing here? I frowned and leaned against the wall so I could hear without them seeing me.

"Did you hear from Lucy?" Rose asked, her voice soft.

"Yeah. She's fine." Damon sounded distracted, like his mind was elsewhere.

"Do you trust her?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he snapped.

"Well, she did leave right before the windows exploded. Do you think she might have had something to do with it?"

Stupid bitch.

"If it was just you there, maybe. If she knew something was going to happen, she would have taken me with her." I smiled when Damon answered without hesitation.

I came around the corner so I could see into the room. Their backs were turned to me as Damon stared at the fire and Rose stepped up behind him. Was she wearing a negligee? She wrapped her arms around Damon's torso and rested her chin on his shoulder. Jealousy spiked through me and I clenched my hands into fists. "Maybe you aren't as important to her as you think you are," she said trying to plant doubt in his head just because she wanted to get laid.

I clenched my teeth in anger. If Damon wanted to sleep with her he would. It would break my heart but he could do it. I wasn't about to let anyone try to manipulate him into it, however. My heart swelled a little as he shoved her arms off so she was no longer touching him.

"And maybe you're a stupid bitch who doesn't know when she's overstayed her welcome," I said, my patience gone with my unwanted houseguest.

They both spun to look at me. Rose frowned at me while Damon smirked. He sped over to me and pulled me into a hug. "You scared me today," he said, his voice low.

I wrapped my arms around him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Why is she still here?"

He glanced back at her and shrugged his shoulders. "She needs someplace to stay for a few days."

My eyes darted over to her. "If you're going to stay here, put some clothes on. No one wants to see that."

She looked between the two of us then sped off. Damon chuckled and pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. "I don't think she likes you much."

"I don't really care. My house, my rules. No negligees in the living room."

"So, my room or yours?" he asked after a moment.

Heat flooded my face as I looked at him with wide eyes.

He smirked, keeping his arm around me as he flipped off the music and directed me to the stairs. "I'm not letting you sleep alone as long as she's in the house."

"Oh," I muttered, thinking as I followed him to his room. I stayed in the doorway while he moved over to his bed and pulled the blankets back. "What if I wanted to sleep with Stefan?" I asked suddenly.

Damon turned to me with a scowl and was standing in front of me in an instant. "First, Stefan is not here right now. Second, no."

"That's it, just no?" My lips twitched as I ran my eyes over his face.

He hooked a hand around the back of my neck and tugged me forward, his lips crashing into mine. I grabbed the front of his shirt in my hands and pulled him even closer as I kissed him back. After a moment, he pulled away and rested his forehead on mine. "Make that hell no."

He stepped backward, bringing me into the room with him and slammed the door behind us.


	6. Chapter 6

When I woke in the morning it took me a moment to remember where I was. Damon's room. I pushed myself up on my arms and glanced around to find myself alone. Sitting up on the edge of the bed I ran a hand down my face. We'd spent the night before kissing and talking but that was as far as it went. We seriously needed to have a talk.

I still wasn't sure I was more than a convenient target for Damon's affections. I didn't want to be another notch on his belt. He already had a good chunk of my heart. If I gave him the rest and he didn't feel the same way, it would destroy me. I took a shower and stole one of his shirts just because I could. I went to my room and slipped on a pair of jeans then put on my tennis shoes. The house was eerily quiet.

After pulling my phone out of my pocket, I sent a text to Damon. _Where are you?_

 _Out._ I rolled my eyes at the reply. Thank you, vampire. That was extraordinarily helpful. I looked up as I hit the bottom step and the front door opened. Elena came in looking slightly frantic. I frowned. "What's up?"

Her eyes widened as she saw me. "Is Rose here?"

I studied her for a minute trying to figure out what she wanted with the kidnapper but finally decided it wasn't any of my business. I pointed up. "I have no idea. Stefan's got her in one of the bedrooms. You'll have to look for her."

She nodded and headed up the stairs while I went into the kitchen to make some breakfast.

* * *

The afternoon found me in the library watching as the brothers talked to Elena's brother Jeremy and their witch Bonnie about getting the moonstone back from Katherine. It was locked with her in a tomb with an anti-vampire spell on it. I said nothing as I sipped my drink and watched them. Bonnie seemed to think she could do a spell by herself that had killed her grandmother when they'd done it together.

She was going to get one of my vampires hurt or killed trying to prove something and I didn't like it. I didn't trust her either. She certainly hadn't hesitated to betray them before simply because of what they were. Jeremy didn't seem to care for the plan either but I thought that was more out of concern for the witch than my friends.

I excused myself and went up to my room. I put my wrist stakes on and covered them with a flannel shirt. Reaching under my bed, I pulled out the case that was beneath it, deciding to just take the whole thing with me.

No one even paid any attention to the fact I wasn't around as I walked through the house and out the front door. Sometimes it worked to my benefit that they assumed I'd always do as I was told. Though to be fair no one told me to stay out of it.

I parked my Charger as close as I could get to the tomb and walked the rest of the way. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, I opened the case and smiled. Two guns and extra ammo were nestled inside. One gun I used for wooden bullets and the other shot darts of vervain. I pulled them out one at a time and made sure they were loaded.

"What are you doing here?" I heard Jeremy ask from the top of the stairs.

I glanced up at him. "Same thing you are, I guess." I looked him over and shrugged. Two was better than one. "Shall we?"

He grinned at the fact I wasn't going to leave him behind. "I'll go first," he said.

I just rolled my eyes. I was like seven years older than him or something but whatever. I would let him be the hero until I needed to save his ass. We walked into the tomb and Katherine stumbled toward us.

"The youngest Gilbert," she said then her eyes turned to me and she snarled. "And you."

"And me," I agreed. "How have you been, Katherine? Feeling peckish? I'm good. Living with the Salvatores. Getting ready to shoot you. Day's looking up."

Jeremy looked between the two of us and I arched a brow. "Do your thing, Gilbert."

Katherine lunged toward him and he stabbed her in the stomach with a stake before blowing some sort of powder in her face. Katherine fell to the ground unconscious. Jeremy began searching her for the moonstone. "It's not here."

I gestured further into the tomb. "Go find it then." I watched him run off then stepped over to look down at my least favorite vampire. I aimed my dart gun and shot two vervain darts into her chest. Once I was sure they'd emptied I collected them and put them in my pocket. They were so much cheaper to reload.

Jeremy came back as I was pocketing my darts. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure the bitch stays down. What are you doing?"

He held up the moonstone.

I nodded and motioned for him to leave. I aimed both guns at Katherine and backed out of the tomb until I got to where the barrier was. "Well that was fun," I told him and went over to put my weapons away. I picked up the case and held out a hand for the stone. He just stared at me, obviously not wanting to give it to me. I shrugged. "You want to deal with the brothers and your witch, that's fine by me."

He looked at the stone one more time before handing it to me. I slid it into my pocket and started up the stairs. At the top I saw Damon and Stefan approaching. I glanced at Jeremy. "Get out of here. Find your witch."

He nodded once and took off in a different direction.

The brothers stopped and frowned. "What are you doing here?" Stefan asked.

"I'm here to help, like always."

Damon shook his head. "It's too dangerous, Luce. Go home."

I rolled my eyes and pulled the moonstone out of my pocket to toss it in their direction. Stefan caught it. "What did you do?" Stefan breathed and hurried down the stairs to assess the situation.

Damon started to say something when his phone rang. "Not a good time, Rose," he answered. Oh goody, the kidnapper had his phone number. Wasn't that cozy?

After the conversation, he put his phone away and looked at me. He hesitated for only a moment before taking my arm in his hand. "We'll discuss this later. Right now, you're coming with me."

* * *

Damon decided we were taking my car wherever we were going. I thought briefly about reminding him I was human as I watched the needle on the speedometer continue to climb. One look at his face chased that thought away. He was furious. I sincerely hoped that wasn't all directed at me.

"Where are we going?" I chanced to ask after a half hour of uncomfortable silence.

"Richmond. Elena's trying to get herself killed."

I sighed. Of course. Elena was in trouble. Shocking. We fell into silence again though it was much shorter lived this time.

"What were you thinking?" he asked me.

"I was thinking that you two were putting your lives in the hands of a witch that has already betrayed you more than once." I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest.

"She wouldn't have done anything. This was about saving Elena."

I shrugged. "You might be sure of that. Me? Not so much. I don't trust people."

"You could have died, Lucy." His voice was soft, worried.

"Unlikely Salvatore. I kept baby Gilbert and you two alive plus I got to shoot Katherine." I smirked at the shocked expression on his face.

"What did you shoot her with?"

I patted the case in my lap. "Vervain darts. Don't piss me off, Damon."

"I'll try not to, babe."

The rest of our drive was quiet and much shorter than it should have been. I didn't even want to know what his average speed had been. He parked in front of a non-descript apartment building. "Is there going to be trouble?" I asked.

"Maybe," he said and took the keys out of the ignition as he looked up at the building.

I opened the case and took out both guns while Damon watched.

"Those are wooden bullets," he said.

"Yep. Those are in one. Vervain darts in the other."

He studied me for a minute then shook his head. "You're downright terrifying sometimes, Williams."

 **A/N: You guys are absolutely blowing my mind with your love for this story. Thank you for all the favorites, follows and comments. It means a lot and I'm thrilled you guys are liking Lucy as much as I do.**


	7. Chapter 7

To say Elena was not happy to see us was an understatement. Rose was also clearly not elated to see me with Damon. Every time she tried to talk to him, he edged closer to me. I was beginning to wonder if he'd brought me along to use as a shield against her advances.

"Let's go," Damon said to Elena.

"I'm not going anywhere."

I leaned against the wall with a sigh, arms crossed over my chest. Honestly, I didn't understand why we were even discussing this. He was a vampire. All he had to do was pick her up and throw her over his damn shoulder. Of course, I didn't give a shit about staying on Elena's good side.

His eyes flicked over to me then back to her. "You don't have a choice."

"This is my decision, Damon, not yours."

He closed the space between them so he was glowering down at her. "Listen to me. I am not going to let you get yourself, or Lucy, killed because you're just too damn stubborn to do what you're told."

"Lucy's not my problem. You're the one that brought her here. And I'm tired of being told what to do. This is my decision."

"Perhaps if you quit acting like a child, people would quit telling you what to do," I suggested.

Damon frowned at me and I shrugged. They argued back and forth a bit more before he finally said. "This is done. It's time to go."

The door burst open just as he finished speaking. We all turned, our eyes wide in surprise, to see three vampires stride into the apartment. I readied my gun with the wooden bullets as I fought the urge to roll my eyes. They'd been invited here, there was no reason for the dramatic entrance. Damon motioned with a hand for me to wait.

"We're here for the doppelganger," one of them announced.

"Thank you for coming," Elena said and started to move forward until Damon stopped her.

"I will break your arm," he told her in a low voice. Obviously, he was tired of her antics as well. He turned back to the strangers. "There is nothing here for you."

Before anyone could say anything else, a squelching noise interrupted, and the man by the door collapsed to reveal Elijah standing behind him. He held the vampire's heart in his hand and dropped it on the floor with a faint look of annoyance. Rose darted past us all and out the door. Shocking.

"I killed you. You're dead," Damon said.

"For centuries now," Elijah said with a small smirk. He turned his gaze to me. "Lucy. Lovely to see you again. I see you like your birthday present." I smiled. The guns had been a present from him two years ago. His attention darted to one of the men next to him. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" the man shot back.

"I am Elijah."

Those three words were enough for the man to start backpedaling. It was still strange for me to see people afraid of the man I'd called uncle for the vast majority of my life. I perhaps understood a little better as I watched him rip the hearts out of the other two vampires as well. He looked at all of us and gave me a little nod before flashing out of the building.

Damon looked at the mess in front of us then turned to me. "What the hell was that about?"

"And I would know the answer to that, why?" I asked. I had no idea why Elijah had shown up in the first place, never mind why he'd killed the three vampires.

He narrowed his eyes. "You didn't seem surprised to see him."

I shrugged. "Just because I knew he wasn't dead doesn't mean I have a clue what he's up to, Damon. I've known him my entire life and just found out he's an Original. He's not exactly the sharing type."

He studied me a moment more then turned back to Elena. "The guy you're trying to hand yourself over to doesn't appear to want you. So, can we go home now?"

She huffed and stomped out of the apartment. I arched a brow and followed her with my eyes before glancing back at Damon. His jaw was tight and he shook his head before following her. I trailed behind, shutting the door behind me.

* * *

When we pulled up in front of Elena's house, we found Stefan waiting on the front porch. He wrapped her in his arms and gave us a nod over her shoulder. Most of my ride home had consisted of texting Stefan about the stupidity of his girlfriend.

"Now that we're alone, when did you find out Elijah was still alive?" Damon asked as he pulled away from the curb.

"I saw him outside the café Rose took us to," I answered.

"That's why you were acting weird. Why didn't you say anything?" He sounded almost hurt.

"Honestly, at first, I was worried he'd want some sort of revenge. Then after I talked to him, he asked I not tell you yet."

He pulled to a stop in front of the boarding house. "And you were okay with keeping something like that from us?"

"He's the only family I have left, Damon. I didn't see the harm in doing as he asked. I still don't." I grabbed the case with my guns and got out of the car. I walked inside without looking back at him. It had been a long evening and I just wanted a drink and a bed.

I left my case on the entryway table and made my way to the bar in the living room. After pouring myself a glass of the first bottle I grabbed, I turned to find Damon in the doorway. He didn't say anything as his eyes watched me. "I'm going to bed," I told him.

"Wait. Just wait." He made his way to me, his eyes never leaving mine. He plucked the glass from my hand and set it on the bar. With a sigh, he pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me.

I closed my eyes and let myself relax against him. This was better than a drink any day of the week. After a moment, he began to run his hands up and down my back. I tilted my head back to look at him and his lips claimed mine in a slow kiss. When I pulled away, I rested my head against his chest.

"I needed that," I told him.

He chuckled. "So did I. I should have done it much earlier today."

He moved so our hands were linked and headed toward the stairs. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."

I pulled against him and he looked back at me with a frown. "What's going on here, Damon?"

"Um…we're going to bed."

I rolled my eyes. He so knew that was not what I meant. "Look, I'm not trying to pin you down, or pressure you or anything, but I'm not in this for a bit of fun. You're my friend, my family. I won't risk that for anything that's not serious."

He smirked and tugged on my arm until I was pressed against him once more. "What if it's really, really hot sex?"

Closing my eyes, I shook my head, unable to keep the smile off my face. "You're incorrigible."

I opened my eyes again. "Just think about it, Damon. I'm okay being your friend. It would kill me if I lost you."

His face grew serious. "I promise I'll think about it, sweetheart. Now, come on."

I let him lead me upstairs but when he tried to take me to his room, I pulled away from him. "I think I should sleep in my own room tonight."

"I thought we agreed you'd sleep with me as long as Rose was in the house."

"I haven't seen her since she ran away from Elijah. And we didn't really agree on anything. You just kind of decreed it."

When he continued to frown at me instead of saying anything, I said, "I'll lock the door if it will make you feel any better."

"Not really, no," he muttered before pressing a kiss to my head and walking the short distance to his own room.

I went into my room and locked the door behind me. I drifted to sleep that night with images of Damon in my head and the feel of his lips on mine.

 **A/N: So, so sorry for the long delay. We just moved and I didn't have internet for a while. As always, thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows. You guys are awesome!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: To show you how much I appreciate the follows, reviews, and favorites (and your patience while I couldn't update) here's another chapter for you. And it's a long one. Enjoy!**

I didn't sleep well and woke far earlier than I wanted. After tossing and turning for a while, I decided that I wasn't going to get anymore rest and got up. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants with the shirt I'd worn to bed and padded over to the door. Coffee was the only thing that was going to help me now.

I opened the door and yelped as something fell onto the floor. My hands were clasped over my mouth as I stared at Damon with wide eyes.

He grunted when he hit the floor and frowned up at me. "Ow."

"Why…What…Explain, please," I finally managed to stammer out.

He pushed himself up so he was leaning on his elbows and smirked. "You didn't want to sleep with me and I wasn't about to leave you unprotected. I slept in the hall."

My heart ached at the gesture. This sweet Damon was the one I fell in love with even if he did only tend to show up with me. "Damon," I sighed, "you didn't have to do that. I would have been fine."

Arching a brow, he got to his feet. He grasped my hands in his, shifting them around until we were palm to palm with our fingers linked. His head dropped forward and he rested his forehead against mine. "We need to talk about last night. But first there are things to do."

"I hope one of those things is getting caffeinated."

He chuckled and pulled me against his side. "Come on, trouble. I'll make you some coffee."

* * *

One of the things we apparently had to do was go to Elena's house so Damon could mock her. Bonnie had cast a spell confining Elena to the house since she couldn't seem to be trusted not to try to get herself killed. She was pissed at Damon for doing this to her, but he'd told me on the way over that it had been Stefan's idea. Guess he was taking the fall for his brother.

I noticed Stefan was nowhere to be found. "Where's your boyfriend?" I asked her.

"He's trying to get Bonnie to let me out of here," she said.

I turned away from her and pulled out my phone to text Stefan and see what he was actually doing. After a moment, he responded that he was doing more research into the curse and the Originals. I smiled but my attention was quickly pulled to Damon. He was pacing the floor while talking on his phone, an annoyed tone in his voice.

"I've got to go," Damon said slipping his phone into his pocket. "Jeremy, you babysit. Elena, you should get out, enjoy the fresh air. Oh, wait. You can't." He smirked, proud of himself and Elena threw a pillow at his head.

Laughing, I followed Damon out the door. "Where are we headed?" I asked as he pulled away from the curb.

"The Grill. Ric's there. There's a problem."

"What problem?"

He looked at me sideways, but didn't answer the question. I gave a little shrug and sent a text to Ric. _What's going on?_

It only took a minute for him to respond. _A woman is in town looking for Mason Lockwood. He's been declared a missing person._

The corner of my mouth cocked up in a small smile even though I was worried about this turn of events. Ric never saw the point in keeping things from me. He was of the opinion I could protect myself better if I knew what was going on.

"Did you really think I believed Mason left town?" I asked as Damon parked in front of the Grill.

He glanced at me. "Who were you texting?"

I smiled. "Ric."

"Shit." He smacked the heel of his hand against the steering wheel and turned his angry gaze to the windshield. Wrapping his fingers around the wheel he squeezed until his knuckles turned white.

I laid my hand on his arm and rubbed it lightly. "Hey, this is me. You and Stefan were almost killed because of him. He was working with Katherine. There wasn't a choice, Damon. I get it."

He sighed and nodded once, but I wasn't sure he really believed my words. "Let's go." He was out of the car and halfway inside before I could even get my door open.

I shook my head and took my time following him into the watering hole. He'd already taken a seat beside Ric and both of them had their eyes on a blonde woman I'd never seen before. She was talking to Matt. I shifted my gaze between all of them for a moment then made my way to the bar. I planted my ass on a stool and waited for the bartender to take my order.

The blonde sat a couple of spaces down from me as the bartender sat a scotch in front of me. It was one thing for the bartender to recognize you, it was another for them to have your drink order memorized. Oh well. I gave her a nod of thanks and shoved a five in the tip jar.

I sipped my drink as Ric stumbled over a while later. He pretended to be tipsy and bought her a drink. After a moment, Damon valiantly came to her rescue. He stood between the two of us with his back to me. What were these two numbskulls up to now? Whatever it was, it was certain to get someone in trouble. I really thought by now they'd know better than to do anything without running it by me first.

Ric met my eyes and gave me a small smile as he stirred something into her drink. Damon told him to get lost and Ric acted offended. I got off my stool, elbowing Damon as I walked past. He scowled at me. "Sorry," I slurred, "jus' tryin' to get to my friend over here."

I linked my arm in Ric's and led him off to an empty table. Leaning against his side as we shuffled away and turned my head to talk in his ear. "Please tell me you didn't just roofie the werewolf."

His head jerked to look down at me in surprise. "Wolf's bane. How do you know she's a werewolf?"

We settled at an empty table where we could keep an eye on the two at the bar. "It's a logical assumption. She's looking for Mason. He would have a left a pack behind."

"Yeah well, the wolf's bane is to make certain. We need to know what we're dealing with."

"So, you basically poison her? I'm going to go out on a limb and assume this was Damon's idea."

Ric smirked and sipped at his drink. I sent Damon a text. _Dumbass._

He glanced at his phone and his brow furrowed. He shot a glance at me and I lifted my drink in a toast before downing it. I kept a wary eye on him and his companion as they continued to talk. I might need to move in to rescue him at any moment.

The woman slammed her drink down on the bar and I immediately moved in their direction. Ric was right behind me. I stopped a few feet away and watched as Damon practically told the she wolf that he'd killed Mason. Stepping up beside him, I ran my hand under his jacket and rested it on his back, hoping to be a calming presence.

She told Damon what an idiot he was for threatening her on the night of the full moon, saving me from giving him the lecture later. "You've been marked," she told Damon then stormed past us and out of the bar.

He appeared to be stunned for a second then he lightly pushed me away and followed after her. Ric and I shared a look then trailed after him.

"Where is she?" Damon demanded as we hit the parking lot.

"Just let it go," Ric said.

"Let it go? She said I've been marked. What kind of werewolf throw down bullshit is that, anyway?"

There was no sign of the blonde anywhere. "Damon," I said once, my voice quiet. He ignored me and continued to look around for any sign of the wolf. "Damon," I said again, my voice louder and firmer.

He turned to me in irritation. "What?"

"It's a full moon. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"She's right," Ric chimed in when Damon didn't say anything. "If any of this stuff is true, one bite and you're dead. Take Lucy home and we'll deal with this in the morning."

Damon glanced up at the moon shining brightly overhead. "Yeah. Okay, okay. Let's go, Luce."

* * *

We didn't talk on the way home, though he reached over and laced his fingers with mine. When we walked inside, he locked the door behind us, something I'd never seen him do. Too bad werewolves didn't need an invitation to enter.

My hands trembled and my chest was tight at the thought. "I say we just barricade ourselves in your bedroom and don't come out until morning."

He started to answer then pressed a finger to his lips and frowned. He moved quietly through the house and I followed far enough behind he didn't have to worry about me. We stepped into the other room to find Rose sitting behind the desk. I rolled my eyes and leaned in the doorway letting Damon deal with her.

He sighed. "You just can't stay away, can you?"

"You didn't answer your phone," she said.

"That should have told you something. What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize."

"Bullshit," he spat out. "You just don't have anywhere else to go."

Her eyes darted between the two of us before settling on Damon again. "I really am sorry about Elena. I didn't know what she was doing. And, you're right, I don't have anywhere else to go."

"There's nothing here for you, Rose," he said and headed past her toward the liquor.

The sound of shattering glass filled the air and we all turned toward where the sound had come from. My heart pounded in my chest and I had the insane urge to go upstairs and hide under the covers. Damon darted in front of me and we headed into the hall in a group. Curtains fluttered in the breeze from a now broken window. A low growl sounded and we all searched for the source.

Damon pulled a sword off the wall just as my gaze fell on a large gray wolf. It hunched down as if preparing to leap.

"Damon!" Rose and I yelled at the same time.

Something hit my body hard and I flew forward until I was between the wolf and its target. White hot, searing pain flooded through me as sharp teeth buried themselves in my shoulder. I screamed as the wolf tossed its head. It growled and snarled and tore at my body. My hands dug into its fur as I tried to shove it off me.

Nausea rolled through me as the intensity of the pain worsened with every shake of its head. Its teeth ground together inside of me, tearing through muscle and clamping onto bone. A large crack accompanied a mind-numbing wave of pain as my collarbone snapped.

Damon thrust his sword into the wolf's side. It whimpered in pain and jumped outside through the broken window. He dropped his weapon and knelt beside me, his hands hovering as if he didn't know where to start.

A flood of tears ran down my face as my head swam. Blackness ate at the edges of my vision and I writhed on the floor in pain. Even though movement only brought more agony, I couldn't seem to make my body still. "It hurts," I whimpered and Damon placed a hand on my head. His other hand grasped mine.

"I am so sorry, Lucy. This is my fault. I shouldn't have provoked her."

I wanted to agree with him but it seemed so unimportant right then. And like entirely too much effort. "Please, Damon," I begged. I wasn't even sure what I expected him to do. I just needed the pain to stop.

A sound drew my attention and drove panic through me. What if the wolf came back? I blinked away tears and shifted my gaze to the figure behind Damon. Rose came into focus, arms crossed over her chest and a smirk on her face.


	9. Chapter 9

"You pushed me," I said, remembering the impact that sent me forward just as the wolf lunged at Damon.

"What?" Damon asked with a frown.

I shifted my gaze back to him. "She shoved me in front of the wolf."

He glanced over his shoulder at Rose.

She held up her hands in a gesture of innocence. "I don't know what she's talking about. Why would I do that?"

"You wouldn't. She's just confused," Damon assured her as he turned back to me. I wanted to argue with him but I was in too much pain.

He pushed my hair back with one hand and leaned closer to me, his eyes locked on mine. "Lucy, do you want me to heal you?"

I whimpered and nodded without hesitation. The only downfall to drinking vampire blood to heal was I would turn into a vampire if I died with it in my system. There were far worse fates than that as far as I was concerned. Damon bit into his wrist and held the wound to my mouth. Once he decided I'd had enough, he pulled away. He helped me sit and pulled me to lean against his chest.

I hadn't realized until that moment that I was trembling from the pain and the fear. His hand cupped the side of my head, holding me against him while the other arm wrapped around my back. I grasped the arm in front of me with both hands as hot tears ran down my cheeks.

"It's okay, baby. I've got you. I've got you," Damon repeated in between pressing kisses to the top of my head. The pain had already receded but I was certain this was going to be nightmare fodder for months to come.

"How is it?" Rose asked.

"Let me see, sweetheart," he said. I sat straight and he pulled the shoulder of my top aside to look where the wound should be. He gave me a brilliant smile and ran his fingers over the spot. "All healed up."

Before I could even think about responding, Damon was on his feet. Another flash and he had Rose pinned against the wall with his hand buried in her chest.

"What are you doing?" she gasped.

He leaned toward her. "I told you once if you hurt my human I would rip your heart out and shove it down your throat. I'd hate to think I'm not a man of my word." With a jerk, he held her heart in his hand and she slumped to the ground.

I blinked as I looked between him and the corpse at his feet. It had happened so fast, I almost couldn't process it. Damon stared down at the body, his jaw still tight and anger still flashing in his eyes. After a long moment, he looked up at me. "You okay?"

My eyebrows shot up into my hairline and I nodded. "Earlier when she said she didn't do it, I thought you believed her."

He snorted a laugh and dropped the heart then cleaned his hands on his shirt. "As if I'd take her word over yours. I just wanted to make sure she didn't bolt while I took care of you."

I held my hands above my head so he could pull me to my feet. He took the hint, but didn't release me once I was standing. Instead, he tugged me against him and wrapped his arms around me again.

"You scared the crap out of me, Lucy," he said, burying his face in my neck.

"If it makes you feel any better I scared myself, too."

He leaned back to look at me with a furrowed brow. "Why would that make me feel better?"

I shrugged and kissed him softly on the lips. "I'm going to go clean up."

"One thing first," he said, searching my eyes. "I'm about to do something incredibly selfish but I don't think I can go another day without doing it. I'm in love with you Lucille Williams. I don't deserve you and I probably never will. If I was a better man I'd let you go, but I'm not."

My chest was tight as I struggled to breathe. Even in my wildest dreams, I never thought he'd return my feelings. I hooked a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down. Pressing my lips against his, I sighed in contentment. The kiss was soft at first but soon we were feeding at each other's lips like we'd been starving for it. Finally, I broke the kiss and looked up at him through my lashes. "I don't want you to let me go, Damon. I love you, too. I have for a long time. I'm yours if you'll have me."

It only took a second before the brightest, most beautiful smile I'd ever seen crossed his face. His eyes lit up and he pressed another soft kiss against my lips. "Go on and get washed up, baby. I need to get this mess cleared away. I'll be up in a bit."

I nodded and stepped back from him, not releasing him from my touch until I absolutely had to. Walking up the stairs, I smiled to myself. Damon was mine. Finally. I stopped in the doorway of my room for a moment before grabbing what I needed for the night and hauling it into Damon's room. We could move the rest later.

I was nearly finished with my shower when a shard of pain lanced through my shoulder. Gasping, I fell against the wall of the shower. Bracing myself against the palms of my hands, I breathed until the pain left as suddenly as it came. That was weird. I waited to see if there was going to be a repeat of the incident. After several minutes passed, I straightened and finished my shower.

I turned off the water and dried myself off. As I wrapped the towel around my body, another jolt of agony tore through me, dropping me to my knees. What the hell was going on? I panted as I knelt on all fours on the bathroom floor. Reaching a hand back, I tried to feel where the pain seemed to be radiating from. Fear flooded me as the rough skin of an injury appeared beneath my fingertips. This couldn't be happening. Damon healed me.

"Damon," I called out, my voice weak and cracking. I cleared my throat then yelled his name again.

In seconds, he appeared in the doorway. "What's going on?" he asked with a terror-filled voice.

"It hurts." Tears dropped my eyes to the floor and I found myself unable to meet his gaze.

Warm hands turned my body and tugged the top of the towel down so he could see my back. He hissed in a breath. "The bite's back."

"How is that even possible?" I muttered. I screamed through gritted teeth as another wave of agony swamped me. It was worse than the initial bite. Finally, I looked at Damon only to see him looking as terrified as I felt. "Call Elijah."

His brow furrowed.

"His number's in my phone. Tell him what's going on and that I need him. He'll come."

He seemed to be arguing with himself before nodding and leaving to find my phone. I heard the murmur indicating he was talking to my uncle, but I couldn't make out the words.

I swiped the back of my hand across my forehead trying to rid it of the layers of sweat. It was so hot in here. I laid my head on the cool tile, sobbing as the pain began to leech from my shoulder into other parts of my body.

After what felt like days, a large hand cupped the side of my face and I blinked my eyes open. Elijah's warm brown eyes looked me over. He gave me a small smile, obviously trying to comfort me but it didn't come close to reaching those eyes. His gaze moved from me to something behind me. "What happened? Leave nothing out."

My eyes drifted closed again as I listened to Damon talk. "Have you seen anything like this before?" he asked when he was finished.

I opened my eyes to find Elijah still looking me over. He pursed his lips. "I have. But not in humans. She's reacting to the bite like a vampire."

"Why? That doesn't make any sense," Damon protested.

"It's something in the blood that mixes with the werewolf venom and acts like a toxin. I can only assume that when you gave her your blood to heal her, it initiated the same reaction in her." He pushed my hair behind my ear then shifted us both around so he could pick me up. Carrying me out of the bathroom, he put me in Damon's bed and pulled the covers over me.

"So, when the blood's out of her system, she'll be fine, right?"

His eyes moved from me back to Damon. "If she makes it that long. Being human, she has a weaker immune system. I can't possibly predict how the poison will affect her. If she dies, she may not come back at all. If she does, it will only be to die again as the toxin will still be coursing through her veins."

"Don't tell me there's nothing we can do," Damon yelled, obviously frustrated.

"There is one thing, but it will take time. Take care of her until I return."

He bent down and pressed a kiss to my temple. "I will get you your cure, little one, even if I have to sacrifice all my plans to do it. Just hold on for me." And in a flash, he was gone.

* * *

 **A/N: I normally hate to repeat myself, but in this case, I'll go with it. Thank you again for all the reviews, favorites and follows. This story has over 100 followers. That's crazy and it makes me so happy. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Damon sat against his headboard as I laid on his chest. His arms wrapped around me and his fingers laced with mine. Sweat beaded my skin and I knew I was pale without even looking in the mirror. I couldn't keep anything down, not even water. Every part of me ached and more than once I'd drifted off only to come to and not know where I was.

"Where else do you want to go?" Damon asked in my ear.

I smiled a little. He'd been trying to distract me by planning an epic road trip with me. "What about Yosemite? I want to see those giant trees."

He tightened his arms a bit. "The redwoods? Yeah, they're impressive. Even more so if you see them at hundred year intervals. It's amazing how much some things can change and how much other things stay the same."

A jolt of pain went through me and I coughed in discomfort. Damon rubbed my back as I sat up to finish coughing. "You're okay, babe. I'm here."

"Have you heard from Elijah?" I asked as I resumed my previous position.

He brought one of my hands to his lips and pressed a kiss against the back of it. "By text. He says he's working on it. That was a couple of hours ago."

"What's the emergency?" I heard Stefan say just before he appeared in the doorway of Damon's room. His jaw dropped and his face turned lighter than his normal shade of pale. "Lucy? What happened?" He was beside the bed in an instant, kneeling next to it. His worried eyes darted between me and his brother.

"If this is how long it takes you to respond to an emergency text, I'd hate to see how long it takes you to respond to a regular one." Damon sounded bitter.

"I had my phone off. Now, what happened?" Stefan asked again.

I looked at him but I couldn't answer. If I opened my mouth I was going to vomit. Again. I closed my eyes and hot tears ran down my cheeks.

"Werewolf," Damon answered. "I'm going to turn you, baby, so Stefan can see."

I nodded a little but kept my eyes shut. Damon turned me to my side and Stefan hissed in a breath. "I thought the bite was only toxic to vampires."

Damon settled me back into position. "Yeah. I gave her my blood to heal her and it apparently made it affect her the same way it would a vampire."

"Can we fix it?" Stefan's voice was quiet, worried.

"Uncle Elijah is working on it," Damon said. He kissed my head. "I'm going to go talk to Stefan for a minute, baby. I'll get you some fresh water and we'll try to drink again, okay?"

I could do little more than grunt in agreement. Damon shifted out from underneath me until I laid on his pillows. I drew my knees up into the fetal position and whimpered. My eyes followed them as they walked out of the room and shut the door behind them. They obviously didn't want me to overhear them discussing my impending death.

The door opened and Elena walked in. "Hey, Elena," I managed to say though it was little more than a whisper.

She smirked. "Nice guess, but I'm not Elena."

Panic flared through me. I wasn't in any shape to face Katherine and survive. I scrambled backward in the bed until I fell onto the floor with a thud and a jolt. Agony tore through me with the impact but I did my best to ignore it. Katherine continued to stalk toward me as I pushed myself backward toward Damon's closet. Finally, I made it inside and shut the door before locking it. It was supposed to act as a safe room of sorts if I was ever in trouble.

Getting to my knees, I pulled open the top drawer of Damon's dresser. Pushing aside the clothes, I grabbed the stake he kept hidden there. They were hidden all over the house for my protection and I'd never been more grateful. Grasping the wood in my hand, I scooted back into the corner hoping the hanging clothes would hide me a little.

The doorknob rattled. "Let me in, Lucy. It will be over in a moment."

I scrunched my eyes shut and wished for Damon. A low growl reverberated through the closet and I whimpered in response.

"There's a friend here to see you, Lucy," Katherine taunted. "Don't be scared, it just wants to finish what it started."

Claws scratched at the door and I trembled, both in fear and from the cold. One of Damon's dress shirts laid on the floor near me and I grabbed it. With some painful maneuvering, I managed to slip it on and immediately felt better.

The door knob rattled again. "Lucy?" Katherine called.

"Leave me alone," I tried to yell but it came out as little more than a whisper.

A fist pounded against the door. "Open the damn door, Lucy," she demanded.

Horrible, hot burning pain swamped me and I curled up on my side on the floor. I whimpered with every breath but I kept the stake clasped in front of me. There was a cracking sound and the door opened. I buried my head in my arms waiting for the attack. Fingers gripped mine and gently peeled them away from the stake.

Careful hands moved my arms away from my face and I blinked up to find Damon kneeling beside me. I started to cry. "Shh. Shh. It's okay, baby. I'm here." He picked me up and carried me to the bed. "What happened?" He asked after he'd gotten us settled.

"K-K-Katherine was here with the wolf. They were going to kill me," I managed to stutter out between sobs.

Damon shushed me again and ran his hand up and down my arm. "Katherine wasn't here, Luce. She's still in the tomb. And it's not a full moon so you're safe from the wolves, too." He kissed the side of my head. "The bite's making you see things that aren't there."

He sat me up a little and handed me a glass which I took with a trembling hand. "Here, try some water." I sipped at the cool liquid, relishing in the icy sensation as it traveled to my stomach. Suddenly, I heaved and spit out the water I'd just drank.

I sank to my side on the bed and cried. Tears ran down my face and sobs racked my body making pain flare through me again. "I'm sorry, Damon."

He left me where I was but wrapped his arms around me. "It's okay. No reason to be sorry. It's fine."

Agony worse than I'd ever experienced before flared from the shoulder and burned through me. I twisted and writhed in Damon's arms as I screamed. "Oh, God, it hurts. It hurts so bad, Damon. Please make it stop. I can't take it. Just make it stop."

Again, he shushed me, trying to comfort me with the sound and his presence. I vaguely registered that he was crying as the tears dropped to mix with mine. After another round of screaming, the pain subsided a bit.

"Sleep, Lucy. Try to find a little peace. I'll wake you if I hear from Elijah."

I nodded and let my eyes drift shut. Much to my surprise I was able to sleep even if it was for a short while. It didn't take long for me to realize I was dreaming when I found myself standing on top of a familiar cliff, looking at the ocean beyond.

"I used to come here all the time with my dad," I said, feeling Damon's presence behind me. "He about had a heart attack the first time I cliff jumped from here." I chuckled at the memory and turned to face the dark-haired vampire.

"I would never have taken you for a cliff jumper."

I shrug. "I like the adrenaline rush. Probably while I hang out with vampires. It's my secret death wish." I smirked to make sure he took it as the joke it was meant to be.

He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "The view is nice from here."

"Nice?" I scoffed. "This view is spectacular, Salvatore. We need to add this to our road trip list."

I sat on the edge of the cliff with my feet hanging over. Damon joined me and took my hand in his. "How much longer?" I asked.

"For what?"

I leaned against his side. "I know this is a dream, Damon. How much longer do I have before it's too late?"

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter because it's not going to happen. Elijah will get here in time."

I didn't say anything. It wouldn't do either of us any good to point out he might not make it. Damon stiffened beside me, then squeezed my hand and turned to face me. "Time to wake up, baby. Elijah's back."


	11. Chapter 11

Lucy woke slowly, blinking against the light in the room. Elijah sat in a chair beside the bed watching her. His head tilted to the side and he gave her a small smile as he realized she was awake. His eyes moved from her to something on the other side of the room. "Please give us a moment," Elijah said.

"I'll be right outside if you need me, baby," Damon said. She nodded but didn't turn to look at him.

She heard the door shut behind her and Elijah just continued to frown in that direction. There was no point in Damon leaving the room if he was just going to stand in the hall. He'd be able to hear everything. She also knew Elijah would be reluctant to ask him to go elsewhere because it was Damon's home.

Lifting her hand she flipped on the small box on the nightstand and turned the volume up. The sound of ocean waves filled the room. Elijah looked at her in surprise. "White noise machine. Works better than the faucet trick."

The side of his mouth quirked up in a smile. "I'll have to remember that." He placed a vial of what looked like blood on the nightstand.

"What is that?"

"That is my brother's blood. It is the only known cure for a werewolf bite. If it doesn't work on you..." he trailed off, unwilling or unable to finish the thought. He cleared his throat. "You need to be aware of some things before you drink this."

He searched her face as if wanting a response. "Okay," she said quietly.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Niklaus is my brother and I love him, but he is not a good person. His childhood was less than pleasant. Our father was cruel man, especially toward Niklaus. And our mother did little to nothing to protect him. I myself failed in protecting him as I should have. He was my younger brother. It was my job and I failed."

Lucy reached out a hand and laid it on top of one of Elijah's. He linked their fingers together and slid his chair closer to the bed so their hands could rest on it. "Anyway, as a result he has a warped sense of right and wrong. Imagine an abused child with the rage issues of a werewolf and the heightened senses of a vampire. It's usually not pleasant."

She furrowed her brow. "Werewolf?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know that part. My mother had an affair with another man. A werewolf. Niklaus was the result. When she cast the spell that turned us into vampires, he became a hybrid. That's why his blood is the cure."

She thought for a moment. "Elijah, your family has issues."

He laughed at that. "You have no idea, little one."

Pain stabbed through her shoulder again and she hissed and arched her back. Elijah squeezed her hand more tightly and brushed her hair from her forehead. Once it passed, he took the rag lying on the bedside table and wiped her face down.

"We will discuss this in detail later, right now I am going to give you the summarized version. That blood belongs to my evil hybrid brother but it will save you. I hadn't talked to my brother in some time as the last time I did he informed me that he effectively killed the rest of our siblings. He is cursed and needs the doppelganger to break it. I had intended to use her as bait to lure him here and kill him." The muscle in his jaw worked as he clenched his teeth and took a breath. "I gave him Elena to save you. I gave him my chance for revenge. But that wasn't enough for him."

When he didn't continue, Lucy squeezed his hand again. "What is it, Elijah?"

"He gave me the blood with the understanding that if you drink it, you will meet with him when he comes to town. And you will owe him three favors of his choosing."

She blinked in surprise. "So I will live, in theory anyway, but I will owe three unnamed favors to the evil original hybrid?"

"That about sums it up, yes."

"And what did you mean when you said you gave him Elena?" Lucy didn't care for the girl much but she also didn't like the idea Elena's life was being exchanged for hers.

Elijah shook his head and gave her a small smile. "I simply meant that I told him her name and location. He would find out eventually anyway."

Lucy thought for a long time and Elijah sat there in silence watching her. Finally, she met his eyes. "Help me sit up." She picked up the vial and turned it in her hand. "Being alive and tied to the hybrid is better than being dead." She opened it and lifted it to her lips but stopped herself before she took a drink. Her eyes shot up to Elijah in panic. "I haven't been able to keep anything down."

He hummed and opened his suit jacket to pull a syringe from the inside pocket. Taking the vial from her, he sucked his brother's blood into the needle. "Let me see the bite, Lucy."

She turned so that side of her back was to him. He pulled aside the neck of the shirt. Without a word, he jabbed the needle into her skin near the bite. She hissed at the sensation. He put the needle on the table but continued to hold her shirt like that as he watched.

At first, Lucy felt no different, but soon the wound ceased its horrible itching and throbbing. It almost felt like someone had spread something cooling over it.

Elijah sighed. "It is healing." He let go of her shirt and placed his hand on her chin to turn her back to him. "How are you feeling?"

She took a deep breath and did a quick mental inventory. "Better." With a still trembling hand, she reached over and took the glass of water from the nightstand. She took a large swallow, closing her eyes in relief as it cooled her sore throat. When several minutes passed and it didn't make a reappearance she threw herself at Elijah and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, Elijah. Thank you so much."

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly. "You are welcome, though I fear you won't be thanking me when you meet my brother."

"We'll deal with that when it gets here." She pulled back. "And not a word to anyone, Elijah. I mean it."

He nodded his head once. "You have my word, little one."

She laid a soft kiss on his cheek. "I love you, Elijah."

"And I, you."

* * *

Elijah left via the window not wanting to answer any questions the brothers may have. Not yet, anyway. Lucy wiped herself down with a washcloth and changed her clothes not wanting to take the time to shower just yet. She was surprised Damon hadn't already come back into the room to check on her.

She opened the door and stepped into the hallway, surprised to find it empty. Raised voices came to her and she realized Stefan and Damon were fighting.

"Come on, Damon. I didn't know what else to do. He says he knows about the sacrifice."

"It's John Gilbert, Stefan. He tried to kill me or did we forget that already. He can't be trusted."

"The witch that helped Bonnie is working for Elijah so we can assume the moonstone was never destroyed. The only thing we have going for us is Lucy's tie to Elijah and I don't trust him. Do you?" Stefan asked.

"I hope we can trust him since he's the only thing that may possibly save my girlfriend," Damon snapped.

"Him saving Lucy and him saving Elena are two very different things. He has no ties to Elena," Stefan reasoned.

Lucy heard something break and headed in the direction of their voices. It sounded like they were in the library.

"I can't do this right now, Stefan. Lucy is upstairs possibly taking her last breath even as we speak, I couldn't care less about Elena right now."

Lucy opened the door just as he said those words and both brothers snapped their heads in her direction. Stefan smiled and Damon's eyes widened. "Lucy," he breathed out, then before she could even take a step into the room, he was in front of her. His hands cradled her head and he looked her over before pressing his lips to hers. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Thank God."

She looped her arms around his waist. "I'm okay, Damon. Elijah fixed me."

He pulled back to look at her again. "How?"

She shook her head. "I can't tell you that. Not yet."

"Don't you think that's a little odd," Stefan said, still trying to win his argument with Damon.

"Shut up, Stefan," Lucy said, her voice muffled against Damon's chest as he'd pulled her into another tight hug. He chuckled, making his chest move beneath her, and she was struck again by how much she loved him.

Whatever the hybrid may ask of her, it was worth it for this.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I was busy getting a book out. Thank you, as always for the reviews, follows and favorites. It's crazy to me how popular this story is. I appreciate the support and wish I had the time to thank you all individually.**


	12. Chapter 12

Lucy sat in the passenger's seat of Damon's car. They had just pulled up in front of Elena's house. "Why are we here again?" she asked.

"I'm here because I want to find out why John Gilbert is in town. You're here because I don't plan on letting you out of my sight for the next hundred years or so."

"You don't believe he's here to help Elena?"

Damon shrugged. "Maybe he is, but I can almost guarantee that's not the only reason he's here. He's too self serving to be that altruistic."

Lucy just hummed in agreement and leaned against her door.

"You know, you haven't said much about all this. What do you think?" Damon asked and took his keys from the ignition, swirling them around his finger.

Lucy looked between him and the house again. "I don't know what to think, Damon. From the little bit Elijah has told me of Klaus, he's not someone to mess with. I also know that Elijah will help if he can, but he doesn't know Elena. He has no loyalty to her. If it comes down to a choice between her and his family, he'll choose family."

"And if it came down to a choice between you and Elena?"

It already had, but he didn't know that. "He'd pick me, Damon. Every time."

Damon nodded his head. "I'm actually glad to hear that. It's nice knowing an original has my girlfriend's back." With that, he got out of the car and went up to the house. He went inside but wasn't gone more than a couple of minutes before he came back, Elena trailing behind him.

Lucy got out of the car and leaned her seat up so Elena could get in the back. "Oh, hi, Lucy. I didn't realize you were here, too," Elena said as she climbed into the back.

"Afraid that's my fault," Damon said as they all got in. "It's been so long since I had a girlfriend, I just refuse to let her out of my sight."

He reached over and grasped Lucy's hand, pulling it closer to him.

"I didn't realize you two were official," Elena said. "When did that happen?"

"It's new," Lucy answered.

"Ish. New-ish," Damon corrected. Lucy just raised a brow but didn't say anything. If he wanted to let Elena think they were together longer than they were, she didn't see the point in correcting him. It didn't make a difference one way or the other anyway.

They parked near the Grill. Damon linked his hand with hers and kept her by his side as they walked inside. A man's gaze fell on them as soon as they stepped inside. "That him?" Lucy asked.

Damon nodded. Elena laid a hand on his arm. "We just need answers. Don't do anything stupid."

Lucy bit her tongue knowing Damon could handle this himself. "But stupid is so much more fun," he said and Lucy barely contained her urge to laugh. He let go of her hand and started to walk off when Elena grabbed his arm again and stopped him.

"I mean it, Damon. Control yourself. Be the better man."

His jaw worked as he looked down at her. Lucy wedged herself between the two of them and looped her arms around Damon's waist. His gaze shifted to her and he smiled, lifting his hand to run his thumb gently along her chin. "You do what you need to do, baby. I'll grab a seat."

His lips crashed against hers and she opened her mouth to grant him access when his tongue ran along her bottom lip. Their kiss was unhurried but passionate. Lucy had all but forgotten where they were when Elena cleared her throat, interrupting them. They pulled away and Damon pressed one more quick kiss on her lips before heading toward John Gilbert.

Lucy followed him with her eyes. "You can't just give him free rein like that, Lucy. You don't know what he can be like," Elena said from beside her.

Lucy glanced quickly in her direction. "He's not a horse, Elena. He doesn't need to be broken. I'm pretty sure by his age, he's figured stuff out. He doesn't need my permission to be himself and he sure as shit doesn't need yours. Excuse me."

There was an empty seat at the bar, which Lucy quickly claimed and ordered a bourbon. After a while, Damon came over and compelled the person in the seat next to her to move. After he'd gotten his own drink, he took a sip and turned to Lucy. "Did you mean all that?" he asked.

"All what, babe?"

"Are you really okay with me the way that I am?" His voice was quiet, uncertain.

Lucy put her hand on the top of his and leaned against his shoulder. "Damon, I fell in love with you, not some romanticized version of you. I don't need you to be anything other than what you are."

"God, I love you." He kissed the top of her head and she sighed in contentment.

"Damon, I need to talk to you," Elena said from his other side.

"So talk," he said and took another drink.

"Not here. Some place private."

Lucy straightened and finished off her drink. She spun on her stool to get up and Elena frowned at her. "Not you. Just Damon."

"You've got to be kidding me," Damon said, irritation coloring his words.

Lucy just shook her head. "It's fine, Damon. Go. I'll be right here." He gave her a quick kiss and followed Elena to the bathroom. Lucy snorted a laugh and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, dragging a man into the girl's bathroom is totally inconspicuous, Elena. Good job."

When Damon came back, he was by himself. "Come on, beautiful. We've got a rescue mission."

* * *

He filled her in on the way to the car. "It's a good thing I love you, Salvatore. There's so much drama in this town." She pulled out her phone as she got into the car to the sound of his laughter.

Lucy wasn't stupid. She kept her ass in the car and let the vampires go fight the werewolves. A knock on the window made her jump. Damon gave her a little wave and she leaned over and unlocked his door. "Caroline?" she asked.

"She's okay. Stefan has her."

"Not for nothing but I kind of ship that."

"Ship that?"

Lucy nodded. "Stefan and Caroline. She'd be good for him."

"Yeah, well. That's not going to happen as long as Elena's around." He started the car but turned in the seat so he was facing her. "So, funny thing happened. A witch showed up and knocked out all the werewolves."

"You don't say?" she said with a smirk.

"He said 'Elijah sends his regards'. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

She just shrugged.

"You're something else, babe. Tell Uncle Elijah thanks. He saved our asses."

She sent a quick text while Damon drove them home.

* * *

Lucy sent Damon up to shower while she threw together some food for them. She put a frozen pizza in the oven then took a mug of blood up to Damon after she'd warmed it up. "Hello, you," she said as she looked him over from head to toe as he stood under the water.

He smirked. "You're welcome to join me."

"Tempting but I've got a pizza in the oven. I'm starving." She handed the mug to Damon and he chugged it down. A hollow gong sounded throughout the house. "And the doorbell just rang," she added with a sigh as she took the cup back.

"I'll be down in a second," he yelled after her.

She trotted down the stairs. Opening the door revealed John Gilbert on the front porch. "I don't believe we've met," he said and held out a hand. "John Gilbert."

She took his hand. "Lucy Williams. You try and kill my boyfriend again and I'll kill you myself. Nice to meet you."

He blinked at her then cleared his throat. "I was actually hoping to speak to Damon. Is he in?"

"Yeah," the vampire in question said as he stepped up behind her.

Lucy turned to look at him. "I'll be in the kitchen throwing a salad together. Yell if you need me." She lifted up on her toes to kiss him then left him to do what he needed to do.

She busied herself in the kitchen until she heard the front door open and close again. Stepping out, she saw Damon standing with his back to her as he closed a drawer. "What did he want?"

"Nothing much. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't out to kill Elena, I think."

She glanced past him toward the drawer, but didn't ask. Instead, she turned to go back into the kitchen. "Dinner's ready."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I just realized a changed from 1st person POV to 3rd person starting in chapter 11. Sorry. I'm just going to go with it though.**

* * *

After they ate, Damon grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her up the stairs behind him to his room. He sat her on the bed. "Stay," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," she replied in amusement. He went into the bathroom and started running water into the tub, adding a generous splash of bubble bath. "What are you doing, Salvatore?"

He smirked as he stood in front of her and started undressing. "I need to talk to you and we are going to take a bath while we do it."

"Didn't you just shower?" she asked even as she stripped off her shirt and undid her pants.

"The purpose of this bath is not to get clean, beautiful." He wriggled his eyebrows when she looked at him and she laughed.

"You're crazy."

"So they say." He turned off the water. "I'll be right back."

Lucy finished undressing and climbed into the huge tub, sighing in relief as she sank into the hot water. Damon returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She shook her head. "None for me, thanks. Wine gives me a headache."

He shrugged. "More for me." He sat his glass beside the tub and took of his pants. Lucy took full advantage of the opportunity to look him over. He was gorgeous.

He slid in on the other side of the tub. "Like what you see, baby?" he asked with a smirk.

"You know I do," she answered confidently in spite of the blush on her cheeks. She turned around in the tub until she was positioned between his legs with her back to his front. He looped his arms around her and they sat in contentment for a long moment.

Damon grabbed his glass from the floor and took a sip of his wine. Lucy snatched it from him before he could put it back and took a drink. "It's good," she said with a laugh as he took it back from her. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"You."

"Me?"

"In a manner of speaking." He wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her firmly against him. "This town is dangerous. More so since the werewolves came. I almost lost you, Lucy. I don't want to go through that ever again."

She stiffened and tried to shift away from him but he only held her tighter. "I'm not leaving, Damon. Please don't ask me to do that." She hated the needy sound of her voice.

"That's not happening any time soon. I already told you that I have no intention of letting you out of my sight ever again. I wasn't joking."

"Then what are you trying to say? Just say it."

"I think you should start drinking my blood." She tilted her head sideways to look at him and he gave her a soft smile. "It will help you heal the minor stuff and, if the worst were to happen, you'd come back to me."

"As a vampire." Lucy had used blood to heal before with the knowledge she'd turn if it didn't work. Using it as a preventative measure had never crossed her mind.

He didn't say anything as she rested her head against his chest and let the fingers of one hand rub little circles against his skin. Finally, she looked up at him again. "I'm going to have to think about it." He frowned. "Being a vampire doesn't scare me, Damon. An eternity alone terrifies me."

His mouth opened as he moved to speak and she placed her fingers against his lips to silence him. "We just started, you and me. I'm not asking you for any kind of commitment. That's not what this is about. I just need to decide if I can be happy with a life like that if I'm on my own."

She moved her hand away and his piercing blue eyes stayed locked on her as he processed her words. He leaned toward her. "Fair enough," he said then captured her lips with his.

The kiss deepened and Lucy turned so she straddled Damon's lap, his erection pressing against her. She pulled away to breathe and pressed her forehead to his. "Bed. Now."

Effortlessly, he stood, keeping her pressed against him. Her legs wrapped around his waist and they continued to kiss as he carried her to the bed. "As my lady commands," he said with a smirk and dropped her onto the bed.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy finished her coffee and sat the empty mug on the counter. "I've got to go, Damon. I'll be back later."

"Where are you going again?" he asked with a pout. "I was hoping we could have a repeat of last night." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the side of her neck.

She groaned. The sound a mixture of pleasure and annoyance. "I can't. I have breakfast with Elijah then I'm going to the stupid tea thing with him."

"So that's the reason for the outfit," he spoke against her skin.

She pushed against his arms and faced him with a frown on her face. "What's wrong with my dress? I like it." She ran her hands over the white sundress splashed with blue flowers.

"There's nothing wrong with it." He stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips. "You look incredible. You're just normally the jeans and t-shirt type is all." He kissed her and started to deepen it before she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away.

"I've got to go, Salvatore." She spun away from him as he tried to grab her once more. She opened the door to find Alaric on the doorstep preparing to knock.

He smiled as he saw her. "Hey, Lucy."

"Ric!" She placed a kiss on his cheek as she walked past and waved at Damon. "You boys play nice."

* * *

Lucy double checked the address as she pulled up in front of a plain looking building. She was meeting Elijah at his apartment, but this place was far less refined than his usual abode. With a shrug, she got out of the car and headed to the apartment number he'd given her.

He opened the door before she knocked and pulled her into a hug. After he kissed the top of her head, he released her and gestured to the small table near the kitchen. "It's almost finished. Have a seat."

"Thanks." Her eyes followed him as he waked into the kitchen and began dishing up the food. The jacket for his suit was hanging by the door and he had the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. She shook her head at his ability to remain impeccably clean even while cooking.

Before long he sat a plate filled with bacon, eggs and a biscuit in front of her. "Coffee?" he asked.

"I can get it," she said and started to get to her feet.

He waved her down. "I've got it." He was back with the coffee in a flash, both of them preferring theirs black. After they'd started to eat, he leaned back in his chair to sip at his coffee. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Lucy had texted him in the early morning hours saying she wanted to talk. Hence, breakfast. She sighed and sat her fork down. "Damon thinks I should start drinking his blood every day, just in case."

"I see. So, what are you thinking?"

She took a drink of her coffee, buying herself a minute to get her thoughts together. "It's not the vampire thing, Elijah. You know that's never bothered me." She sat the mug on the table and ran her finger around the rim. "I'm tired of being alone. I had the best dad in the world, but it was just him and me. When he died my whole world went with him. I have you and I have Maggie in California. That was it until I moved here. Maggie's going to die. You have your own life to live that has nothing to do with me. What if I turn and Damon decides he's done with me? I don't know."

His dark eyes studied her. "Your life has never revolved around a man before, why start now?"

She sipped her coffee so she didn't have to answer him.

"This is a decision you must make on your own, Lucy. But rest assured that you are my family. Even if everyone else should leave you, you will have me," he said.

She nodded, uncertain what else to say. Elijah stood and held out his hand for her mug. After a moment, he returned with a freshly filled mug. "Thank you, Elijah. For everything."

His eyes simply followed her movements as she drank her coffee then he returned to the meal before him.

* * *

They walked into the Historical Society event arm and arm. Carol frowned when she saw them and made her way over. "Lucy, isn't it? I wasn't aware you knew Mr. Smith." She gave her proper politician smile and Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Distant relations," Elijah answered, his voice measured and precise. "She's the one that got me interested in this region."

"Oh, how lovely," Carol exclaimed and then shifted her gaze to look past them. "Look who's here."

Stefan and Damon walked over. "Mr. Smith, this is Damon and Stefan Salvatore. Their family is one of the founding families in our town."

Elijah turned and shook their hands as Lucy moved to Damon's side. "Yes, we've met. Lucy and Damon are a couple after all."

"Are they?" Carol said with some surprise and what sounded like mild disappointment.

Lucy stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss against Damon's cheek. "Why are you here?" she said in his ear.

"Later," was all he said.

Stefan smiled at Elijah. "Mr. Smith, if you had a minute there were a couple of things I wanted to discuss with you."

Lucy leaned against Damon's side and watched Elijah and Stefan disappear into an office at the side of the room. She glanced at Damon, a question in her eyes and he simply shook his head as he kept worried eyes on the closed door of the room where the vampires had disappeared.


	14. Chapter 14

Damon and Lucy stood near the wall on side of the room where they could keep an eye on the room where Stefan and Elijah had disappeared. She was in front of him leaning against his chest and he had his arms looped around her waist.

It wasn't long before Elijah appeared. His eyes moved around the room until they landed on Lucy. He quickly joined them. "I am making leniencies because of my affections for Lucy. Your brother has been warned. If he becomes a problem I will dispose of him," his eyes were on Damon the whole time he spoke. He didn't even look at Lucy before he left.

"You better check on Stefan," Lucy said and stepped away.

"Yeah." Damon made his way into the room where his brother still was. Lucy's phone chimed and she pulled it from her purse to find a text from Damon. _Could use a hand._

Shit. Lucy joined the brothers to find Damon holding a cloth to Stefan's neck. Her eyes darted from them to the blood splattered on the desk. "Pencil?" she asked.

"Yeah," Stefan agreed.

Lucy shook her head. "You really shouldn't piss Elijah off, Stefan. It never ends well for anyone."

She began looking for something she could use to clean the blood off the desk.

"I don't trust him," Stefan said. "I know he's your uncle or whatever but that doesn't mean anything when it comes to Elena."

She shrugged. "You're right it doesn't. I will tell you that he always does what he can to keep innocents from becoming collateral damage. It's just his nature."

"What did he say to you anyway?" Damon asked.

"He told me to protect Elena and keep her safe."

"So do that," Lucy said as she cleaned up the last of the blood from the desk and slid the evidence into her purse. "Weren't you guys supposed to be going to the lake house anyway?"

"Yeah, we're heading out as soon as I'm done here," Stefan agreed.

"Then go. Hunt a bunny and heal up. Focus on what you can control, Stefan. Try not to worry so much about the stuff you can't," Lucy told him.

Damon put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Yeah, what she said."

* * *

Later that evening Lucy and Damon were laying on the couch. Lucy was laying against Damon with his hand wrapped around her chest and their fingers linked together while they sipped their bourbon. They were staring at the fire as they just enjoyed being together.

"Need a refill?" Lucy asked as she swung her legs off the couch.

Damon drained what was left in his glass. "Sure."

She poured their drinks then frowned as she realized she had no idea where her phone was. She carried the drinks back over, putting hers on the table and handing Damon's to him. "I must have left my phone in my bag. I'm going to go find it. Be right back." She leaned down and gave him a kiss, smiling as she did. "I love you, D."

"Love you, too, beautiful." Damon slapped her ass as she turned and she shook it as she walked from the room.

* * *

Damon leaned his head against the back of the couch as he waited for Lucy to return. He heard a loud crash from the other room and sat up. "Luce?" he yelled even as he hurried in that direction.

He rounded the corner to see Lucy looking at him with wide eyes, her hands wrapped around the handle of a very large knife that was sticking out of her ribs. "No. No. No," Damon cried out as he rushed to her. "Don't do this, Lucy," he begged as he caught her and lowered her to the ground. He bit into his wrist, prepared to heal her when a thud sounded behind him and he jerked his head in that direction to see a man crouched on the floor in front of him.

Damon dove for the man sure that he was the one that had hurt his Lucy. He couldn't let him do it again. He tried to hit him, but the man dodged and jumped on Damon's back, jabbing a needle in his neck. Damn it. Vervain. Throwing himself backward he shoved the man into the wall. Pictures broke and fell to the floor.

Damon's eyes darted over to Lucy even as he tried to loosen the stranger's hold. It didn't look like she was breathing. Tears came unbidden to his eyes. He continued to try to shake the other man off even as more and more vervain was injected into his system. Finally, he couldn't fight it anymore and fell to floor, weak and desperate. His eyes immediately found Lucy.

"Damn, you're a strong," the man said as two more walked into the house. "Check that one," he said.

One of the men bent down to check Lucy's pulse. "She's gone."

"No!" Damon yelled. He didn't know what these assholes wanted but they could just kill him. Lucy was gone. His Lucy.

"Hello, Damon," a female voice said and Damon shifted his focus to see Jules standing with a shotgun on her shoulder.

"I'm going to rip your heart out, bitch," he snarled at the wolf just before he passed out.

When Damon came to, he was chained to a chair with some sort of collar on his neck. Lucy lay on the floor in front him. The knife was gone though she was covered in blood. Her eyes were open in a vacant stare. He turned his head away only to come face to face with the asshole from earlier.

"Morning, Sunshine," he said.

"I'm going to make sure you piss yourself before you die," Damon said. "Perhaps I'll even make it last awhile." This was the one that killed his Lucy.

The wolf jerked the chains he was holding and the collar around Damon's neck shifted, driving the wooden shards embedded in the collar into his neck. Damon grunted in pain.

"I hear you have the moonstone, Damon," Jules said as she walked into the room.

The moonstone? That's why Lucy had been killed? "Torture me all you want," Damon said. "I'm not telling you shit. And you're still going to lose your heart. Last time it was Mason."

"Well, this time it will be you," Jules said. With a nod of her head, the asshole pulled on the chains for the collar again. "Of course, then there's buckshot," she said showing him her gun again. "It scatters throughout the body. Maximum damage. Where's the moonstone?"

"Screw you."

"You looking for this?" a voice said. Jules spun and Damon's eyes darted to the doorway to find Elijah leaning against it. He stepped into the room, moonstone in hand and placed it on a table. "Go ahead. Take it."

One of the wolfs charged and Elijah ripped his heart out, dropping it to the floor. Two more tried and met the same fate. Jules ran off and the only one that remained was the asshole. Elijah approached slowly. "What about you, sweetheart? Wanna take a shot?"

The wolf cowered, trying to hide in his jacket.

Damon cleared his throat. "He killed Lucy."

Elijah's head jerked to the side and followed Damon's gaze to Lucy's body. His jaw tightened as he turned back to his prey. "Where's the girl?"

"I don't know," Damon answered.

"Doesn't matter," Elijah said. He drove his hand into the wolf's abdomen and jerked it out. He glanced at what was in his hand. "I'm pretty sure that's a kidney. You only need one of those. Perhaps I'll try for the spleen next."

The asshole whimpered and the acrid aroma of piss filled the air. Elijah glanced down at the mess with a raised brow. "How unsanitary." He pulled back and punched the wolf, breaking his neck.

Elijah grabbed the chains holding Damon to the chair and broke them to free him. He knelt beside Lucy and closed her eyes. "How long ago did she die?" he asked, his voice tight.

"I don't know. I passed out. I'd guess an hour," Damon answered as he shoved the chains off and tore the collar from his neck. He didn't see what difference it made. Lucy was gone.

Elijah glanced at his watch then picked Lucy up and laid her on the couch. Damon leaned forward, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes as he tried to process that his love was dead. His chest ached and he found it hard to breathe.

"Given the amount of blood I fed her this morning, I suspect she will be fine," Elijah said.

Damon jerked his head up. "What?"

"She met with me to discuss the conversation you had regarding feeding her your blood. She still hadn't made up her mind. When I refilled her coffee, I added my own to the cup. I had intended to speak with you about doing the same though it is now a moot point." He leaned back in the chair he sat in. "Now we just wait for her to awaken."

* * *

A/N: As always, thank you for the multitude of favorites and follows. So glad you all love this story as much as I do.


	15. Chapter 15

Lucy woke suddenly and sat up with a gasp. Her hands pressed against her rib cage where a knife had been not long before. It didn't hurt. Why didn't it hurt?

She was pulled against a hard chest and hands threaded into her hair to hold her close. "Never again, Lucy. I can't take this. You're not allowed to get hurt anymore. I almost had a heart attack and I didn't think vampires could have heart attacks." Damon's voice flowed through her, relaxing her.

She snuggled against him. "What happened?"

"That bitch Jules showed up looking for the moonstone. One of them stabbed you."

"Yeah, I remember that vividly. How am I still alive?"

"That would be my doing," Elijah said and Lucy pulled back to look at him.

"I don't understand. Did you heal me?"

Elijah pursed his lips and looked between her and Damon. "You're in transition, Lucy."

Surprise shot through her. "What?"

Damon pushed her hair behind her ear. "Elijah slipped his blood into your coffee this morning."

Her gaze darted back to Elijah. "I should be furious with you for taking the choice away from me."

He shrugged. "I have taken nothing from you. It is your choice whether you complete the transition or not."

She narrowed her eyes. After a moment her lips twitched into a smile and she shook her head. "You're lying. If I don't drink willingly, you'll pour it down my throat."

Damon's brows arched in surprise and he looked between the two of them before settling on his girlfriend. "Would he really?"

"You bet your ass he would," Lucy said with a chuckle. "Thank you, Elijah. While I'm not sure I'm ready to be a vampire, I am 100% certain I'm not ready to die."

The corner of Elijah's mouth curled into a smile. "I am going to make a suggestion to the two of you. It is up to you whether you take the advice or not. Your emotions will be heightened, Lucy. And, though I don't think it will take you long, you will need to learn control. Take her away for a few days, Damon. Get her away from all this."

Damon ran a hand down her arm. "That's actually not a bad idea. What do you say, beautiful?"

Stay in Mystic Falls or get the hell out for a few days? Hmm, tough call. "Let's go," she readily agreed.

* * *

Lucy stood on the balcony outside the master bedroom of the house Elijah had given them the keys to several nights before. Her thumb ran along the band of the ring he'd given her as well and she watched the sun come up. He'd apparently prepared for her to turn and had his witch make her a daylight ring.

Damon had warmed some bagged blood in a mug for her to complete the transition, then they'd packed their bags and left town. They'd turned off their phones and hadn't told anyone where they'd gone. Elijah could get ahold of them if there was an emergency. Arms wrapped around her from behind and Damon tugged her back to press against his chest. He nuzzled against the curve of her neck and kissed along her throat.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she groaned at the feel of his lips against her skin. Elijah hadn't been kidding when he said everything would be heightened. Every touch from Damon had her skin tingling, her nerves dancing. When he wasn't teaching her control, they hardly crawled out from between the silk sheets.

"When do you want to head home?" Damon asked as he locked his arms around her.

Lucy scrunched her nose. "Never. Is never an option?"

He chuckled and the low sound made her smile in response. "We can stay as long as Elijah will let us. We should probably at least think about turning our phones back on though."

She turned in his arms to lightly kiss his lips. "Deal."

They headed back inside and she sat on the side of the bed as she fished their phones out of the drawer of her nightstand. She tossed Damon's to him and waited impatiently through all the dings and vibrations as her phone booted up. Once it finished, she scrolled through her messages, ignoring most of them.

One from an unknown number caught her eye. _It's time to pay your debts. -K_

A jolt of fear stabbed through her. She couldn't think of anyone it could be except Klaus. She flicked back through her other texts and missed calls and frowned. Nothing from Elijah. Surely he would have warned her. Maybe he didn't know?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Damon's worried voice. "We have a problem. Multiple problems actually."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the short chapter but I wanted to get an update posted. I apologize for the lengthy delay. My father passed away and I haven't been doing any writing. Sorry if updates take longer accordingly.**


	16. Chapter 16

"So let me get this straight," Lucy said as they drove toward Mystic Falls. "Your brother and Ric daggered Elijah and are keeping him in your basement. They set a witch on fire and killed him when he tried to rescue Elijah. Then that witch's father attacked everyone and they killed him too? Oh, and the best part is that Katherine is who knows where because she is no longer in the tomb and no one knows who released her."

Damon glanced at her. "That about sums it up, yeah."

She raked a hand through her hair. "We can't leave them alone for a moment, can we?"

He chuckled. "It would appear not."

Lucy sighed as she attempted to figure out what to do. On top of everything else, the Original hybrid was apparently in town and looking for her to do his bidding. "Did you tell Stefan we're coming back?"

Damon shook his head. "I think its better if they don't know. If they aren't expecting us, we may be able to release Elijah without them knowing."

She nodded and chewed on her thumbnail as she watched the scenery zoom past. "I hope we can fix all this."

"We will, Luce. Don't worry." He reached over and ran his thumb across the back of her hand. His comforting gesture calmed her a bit. At least Damon was with her. As long as she had him, she'd be all right.

* * *

Lucy hopped from the car the moment it stopped in front of the boarding house. Damon was right behind her. Stepping into the house, they stopped in the entryway. "Stefan?" Luci called out. They both listened but heard no response. She turned to Damon. "I think we're alone. I'm going to find Elijah. You're the lookout."

He smirked and gave her a nod. She raced off with her vampire speed and Damon locked the door and leaned against the wall, ready to intervene if need be.

Lucy had been in the basement of the boarding house a few times but she still wasn't comfortable down there. It was more dungeon than basement and it gave her the creeps. It only took her a moment to find Elijah and let herself in the room. He looked horrible, dead. The sight made her sick at her stomach. She gripped the dagger and pulled it from his chest, setting it aside.

There was no change in him and she wondered how long it would take him to recover. They needed to get him out of here before Stefan got home. Just as she thought about nudging him to see if she'd get a response, his eyes flew open and he sucked in a sharp breath. He looked around frantically until his eyes found her. "Lucy."

She put her hands on his chest and his hands grasped at her wrists. After a moment, he seemed to be more about himself and sat up. "What happened?" he asked.

Lucy shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure. Damon and I just got back. We had our phones off the whole time. They killed two of your witches. And Katherine is missing."

Elijah sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"That's not all," she said and pulled out her phone. She scrolled to Klaus's text message and handed it to Elijah.

His mouth drew into a tight line as he handed it back to her. "We need to get out of here."

She stood and held out her hand. "Come on. We'll go to your place and figure out a plan."

He stood and did his best to set himself to rights but it was a futile effort.

Lucy picked the dagger up from the floor and held it out to him. "I believe this is yours."

"Thank you," he answered with a nod and they sped up the stairs.

* * *

Damon and Lucy sat in Elijah's living room while they waited for him to finish cleaning up. He came out freshly showered in a new suit. "That is much better," he said with a twist of his head. He took a seat in one of the chairs. "So, the children have managed to kill Luka and Jonas. The slim advantage I still held against my brother is gone."

"What was your plan for the end game here anyway?" Damon asked.

"Easy. I wish to kill Niklaus."

Damon frowned. "Why?"

"Because that is what he has done to the rest of our family." Elijah straightened his sleeves. "Niklaus has lived under a curse for most of his life. He intends to break that curse, using Elena to do so. At that moment, when he is weakened, I will removed his cold, dead heart from his chest."

Lucy blinked. "Well, that's a happy image."

"When you say he's going to use Elena to break his curse, what does that mean exactly?" Damon asked.

"He will sacrifice her on the night of the full moon," the Original answered with a blank expression.

"Sacrifice? As in kill?"

Elijah just looked at him without answering.

"That was your plan? Kill Elena so you can kill your asshole brother?" Damon's voice started to raise as he got upset.

Lucy put her hand on his leg. "Calm down, babe," she soothed. "What aren't you telling us, Elijah?"

"I have a potion that was made 500 years ago by a coven of witches. If Elena drinks it, she should return to life after the ritual."

"Should?" Damon asked.

"There's no way you could guarantee something like that, Damon. You just have to take them at their word," Lucy said. "What are you going to do if it doesn't work? Ask for a refund?"

Damon frowned at her. "You could take this a little more seriously. That is my brother's girlfriend we're talking about. She's just a kid."

She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "I am taking it seriously, Damon. Frankly, Elena has so much drama around her, it doesn't even faze me anymore. What do you want me to do about it? Talk Klaus out of killing her? Good luck with that."

"I don't think so. I don't want you anywhere near Klaus," Damon snapped.

"Well, it's too late for that."

There was a long stretch of silence. "What's that supposed to mean?" Damon asked.

When Lucy didn't answer, Elijah took it upon himself to speak up. "Niklaus provided me with the cure when Lucy was bitten by the wolf. In exchange, she had to promise three favors of his choosing."

Damon's head snapped to the side so he could glare at his girlfriend. "Were you going to tell me this?"

"We just did." Lucy wouldn't look at him. She just kept her arms crossed and her gaze down.

Damon got to his feet and looked down at her. "How could you agree to this? What the hell were you thinking? The guy's such an asshole that even his own brother wants to kill him and you're selling yourself to him?"

Lucy glared at him. "Don't make me sound like a whore, Damon. What other option did I have? Would you rather I was dead? Because that was the alternative."

He raked a hand through his hair. "No, of course not." He paced the floor for a moment before looking back at her. "I-I need some time. I'm going to go talk to Stefan."

With that, he stormed out the door, slamming it behind him. Lucy just stared after him as she clenched her teeth together. Elijah stood and ran his hands over his jacket. "Come, Lucy. I will get ahold of my brother and we shall go see him together."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for all the favorites, follows and comments. You guys are awesome.


	17. Chapter 17

To say Lucy was surprised to find herself at Alaric's apartment was an understatement. She and Elijah were supposed to be meeting Klaus. What the hell was he doing at her friend's apartment?

Elijah knocked and the door was answered by a smiling Ric. "Brother, please come in," he said and took a step back.

Lucy tried to follow but got stopped at the door. Ric frowned. "You said she was human, brother."

Elijah let no emotion show on his face. "She was until very recently."

"In that case," he said turning back to you, "come in, love."

She stepped into the apartment. Her eyes darted around as she tried to figure out what was going on. Katherine sat in a chair to the side of the room stabbing herself repeatedly in the leg. Lucy's lip curled up in disgust. "Well, we know where Katherine is now. That's one thing off the list."

"Yes. Katerina and I have been having a marvelous time," Ric said, his unusual tone and inflection making him sound nothing like himself.

"What is this," she asked as she looked at Elijah. "Is he possessing Ric or what?"

"Nothing so simple I'm afraid," he answered. "It is a traveling spell. Don't worry, he won't stay in there long. He's far too fond of his normal appearance to suffer so."

Her lips twitched as she tried not to smile at the scary hybrid. RicKlaus walked around her, taking her measure. "She's very attractive," he said looking past her to Elijah. "Are you certain your relationship isn't more...intimate?"

Lucy scrunched her nose in disgust at the idea and Elijah scowled. "She is my niece, Niklaus. Please show a little decorum."

"Is she though? I don't recall any of us having children." Klaus smirked.

"Her father saved my life. I've known her since she was an infant."

He shrugged as if it didn't matter and stopped so he stood in front of her. It was so weird to be looking at Ric but know it wasn't him. This was going to give her a headache. He leaned forward to look into her eyes. "You're just going to do everything I say, aren't you love?"

She blinked at him. "Nope. I'm going to do three things for you. No more. That was the deal."

He frowned and glanced at Elijah. "Vervain," the older brother explained. "I insisted she continue to take it even after her transition. I don't trust you."

"You wound me, Elijah. Lighten up, would you? I won't hurt your pet." He turned his attention back to Lucy. "So, tell me, love, what do you know about my doppelganger?"

She shifted her gaze from him to Katherine. "Which one?"

"I know all about Katerina, love. Tell me about the other one."

She briefly thinks about asking if this counts as one of the favors but decides not to push her luck. "Elena Gilbert. She's a kid. 17 maybe?" Lucy shrugs. "I don't care enough to keep track. She's got a martyr complex. She thinks she's helping but she just makes everything worse. She also has a lot of people that are incredibly loyal to her. Ric being one of them. They aren't just going to hand her over."

"And if I tell you to hand her over? What if I was to make that one of your tasks?" His gaze narrowed as he studied her.

"I'm not handing over a kid so you can kill her."

"And if I tell you its either you or her?"

"The answer's still no." Lucy and RicKlaus stared each other down.

Finally, Elijah stepped forward, placing himself as well as he could between his brother and his niece. "I said within reason, Niklaus. And I believe I specified death and sex were not within reason."

The hybrid smirked. "Just testing her limits, brother. And yours."

"Task number one, You tell no one about me. Tell no one you've met me, or that I currently inhabit your friend here. Understood?"

"Understood."

Elijah wrapped a hand around her arm and led her from the room.

* * *

They'd barely made it to the car when her phone started buzzing in her pocket. She pulled it out and sighed when she saw Stefan's name. "If I don't get this, he's just going to keep calling," she explained to Elijah as she answered. "Hello, Stefan."

"What are you doing, Lucy?"

"Like at this particular moment or in general?"

He laughs in spite of himself. "I meant with waking Elijah up in particular," annoyance is heavy in his voice.

She thought about what to say for a moment before answering. "If I had Damon half-dead in my basement and you had the opportunity to rescue him would you leave him there?"

"Yes, because he'd have to do something really stupid for you to do that," he said with a chuckle. "But I see your point. I'm just trying to protect Elena."

"Incapacitating Elijah is not going to help you do that. Trust me."

There was a long stretch of silence. "Look, Klaus is here. We're going to the dance tonight. You should come and chaperone with Damon."

A twinge of pain shot through her at the mention of her boyfriend's name. "I'm not sure Damon wants me to do that."

"What? Why not?"

Lucy sighed. "Didn't Damon come see you? He said he was going to talk to you."

"Haven't seen him. He texted to say you were back and that's it," Stefan said.

"All right. We'll be there provided I can find him. See you later, Stef." She slid her phone back into her pocket and looked over the top of the car to Elijah. "Can you drop me at the Grill?"

* * *

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief when she walked into the Grill and spotted Damon at the bar. "Can I sit here or are you still mad at me?" she asked as she stepped up beside him.

He grunted and motioned to the bartender for another drink. When he placed it in front of the empty stool, she took that as her cue to sit. She sipped at the amber liquid. "I thought you were going to talk to Stefan?"

He shrugged. "Decided not to." He still hadn't looked at her.

She finished her drink then stood from her seat. "I'm going to go, Damon. Stefan wants us to chaperone the dance tonight. He says Klaus is here. I'm sorry I disappointed you."

He didn't respond and she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'll-I'll see you later." She left and wrapped her arms around her middle as she struggled not to cry. Maybe she should see if her old apartment complex had any available units. Staying at the boarding house seemed like more awkwardness than she wanted to deal with right now.

Damon's car pulled up along the curb in front of her. He leaned out the window and looked at her. "Get in, Lucy."

She thought about it for a moment then decided she'd rather walk. Damon growled as she passed by him without even glancing in his direction.

She heard the car door shut behind her and a hand grasped her wrist. "Please get in the car, Lucy."

She turned to him. "Are you going to talk to me if I do? I get you're pissed but yell at more or something. Don't ignore me. I don't deserve that."

He sighed. "You're right. You don't. You also don't deserve to be yelled at so that's why I was keeping my mouth shut. I'm always so terrified around you, Lucy. I haven't had anything I was worried about losing for a long time."

Leaning forward, she pressed her lips gently against his. "Let's go home, Damon. We'll figure all this out together.


	18. Chapter 18

"Not that I'm complaining," Lucy said as she sorted through the clothes the Salvatores had found for her and Elena to dig through, "but why exactly did you guys keep a bunch of women's clothes from different decades?"

She found a purple patterned dress that she handed to Elena. It would look good on her. Lucy turned her gaze back to Damon where he leaned in the doorway. "Is there some sort of fetish Elena or I should be aware of?"

Damon gave her his 'aren't you funny' look and walked off. Lucy pulled a green tie dyed dress from the pile and smiled. Perfect.

"Oh, I like it," Elena said with a smile.

Lucy leaned toward the girl. "Did you notice that Damon never actually answered me?"

"I heard that," Damon yelled from downstairs and both the girls started laughing.

* * *

The dance was well underway by the time they all arrived at the school. Damon kept hold of her hand as they walked to the door. "Where's Uncle Elijah this evening?" he asked.

Lucy licked her lips. "Honestly, I have no idea. I texted him and told him what was going on, but he didn't respond."

"Should we be worried?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine, babe."

"Fantastic," he muttered and held the door open for her.

The gym was decked out and Lucy looked around in awe. No one had ever put this much effort into a dance at her school. Not even prom.

"We have a special shout out tonight," some girl in a crocheted bikini said as they stepped into the crowd in the gym. "This is for Elena from Klaus."

Everyone in the group froze, Elena looking particularly unsettled as 'This is Dedicated to the One I Love' started playing. Lucy put her head down and bit her lip to keep from laughing.

Damon tugged on her hand and rolled his eyes when she just shrugged again. It wasn't her fault Klaus had a sense of humor. "That was a lame, cheap shot," Damon said. "He's just trying to bait us."

"I know everyone here," Elena said.

"Maybe he's not here," Stefan added. "Maybe he just wants us to believe that he is."

"We should probably pretend we're here for the dance," Lucy said. "We look kind of obvious just standing in the middle of the floor."

"There's Ric," Damon said as he tugged her in the direction of his friend.

This was not going to end well. Lucy just knew it. RicKlaus smiled at her as they came to a stop beside him. "Special dedication, huh? This guys a little twisted."

"I'm not impressed," Damon said with a twist of his lips and Lucy's stomach dropped. She preferred not to insult the big, scary vampire unless they had to.

"Well, I thought it was funny," she said.

Damon rolled his eyes but RicKlaus grinned. "Is that so, sweetheart?"

Damon bumped him with his elbow. "Quit flirting with my girl." RicKlaus put his hands up in a gesture of innocence. Stefan motioned Damon over to him and Elena. He held out his hand for Lucy and she shook her head.

"You go ahead. I'll be fine here with Ric."

Damon shrugged and danced his way over to Stefan and Elena. Lucy followed him with her eyes as he started dancing with Elena. It didn't bother her until her vamp ears heard him say, "I've got moves you've never seen." Irritation slid through her but it was just Damon being Damon. She knew that.

"You don't like her much, do you?" Ric's voice asked from behind her and she moved to stand right beside him.

"Let's just say, I'm indifferent," she answered without looking at him. Her eyes followed Damon as he went to dance with Bonnie. She narrowed her gaze. What was he up to? Before she could focus to listen in, RicKlaus spoke, drawing her attention.

"I see you completed your first task. They have no idea I'm not who they think I am."

She shrugged. "It's not as if it was a difficult task."

He hummed in agreement. "It was more of a test than a task. I had to be certain you could be trusted when it came to the more challenging assignments."

"I don't suppose you know where your brother is?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Elijah is...taking a little nap," he answered after a moment. "He's such a buzzkill."

"So you daggered him?"

"You do know all about us, don't you, love?"

She glanced over to find his gaze locked on her. "I know some things. Elijah told me stories about his family, not the Original vampires if you get my meaning. I only know about the daggers because I pulled one from his chest not that long ago."

"The more time I spend with you, the more I understand why he is so fond of you," RicKlaus said and ran a finger down the side of her face. "And it would be a shame if any harm came to you. So, task number two. You will not intervene in anything that happens tonight. You may observe, but you can not help your companions until I am gone. You may not do anything that puts you at risk before then. Understood?"

She sighed. "Understood."

He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "I'll see you later, love." And with that he was gone.

Lucy turned as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her eyes darted around the room only to find everyone she cared about was no longer in the gym. Shit. She was pretty sure even leaving this room would put her at risk so she found a chair at the edge of the room and took a seat.

Elena ran into the gym a short time later, her eyes immediately falling on Lucy. "Lucy, we need your help. Klaus is in Ric's body. He's trying to kill Bonnie," she explained after she ran over.

"Elena, you need to find Damon or Stefan. I can't help you," Lucy stated through gritted teeth. She didn't like being out of the action.

"What are you talking about, Lucy? We need you. Now. Damon needs you."

Lucy's gaze moved past the girl to fall on Stefan as he made his way over to them. "What's going on?"

"We need to help Damon and Bonnie but Lucy won't move," Elena complained.

Stefan looked at his friend in confusion. Damon had explained to his brother about Klaus and his 'favors' earlier. "I can not help you, Stefan. Not until he's gone. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yeah, I got it. Elena let's go," he said, pulling her away.

"But-"

"Now, Elena."

Lucy sighed as she watched them disappear out of sight, Elena shooting her looks over her shoulder as she went.

* * *

 _He's gone. Meet me at the car._

Lucy jumped up and hurried outside when she got the text from Damon. When she found him, he was putting Bonnie's body in the trunk. "Damon?" she said as he shut the lid.

He turned and opened his arms for her. She ran over and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said over and over again against his chest.

"I know, baby. It's okay. It'll all be okay. I promise."

"Damon, I got your message. I can't find anyone. What's going on?" Jeremy called as he approached them.

Damon kept her wrapped in his arms as he turned his head to speak to the little Gilbert. "We need to talk."

Lucy climbed in the passenger seat and Jeremy got in the back. Damon started driving and explained to both of them his and Bonnie's elaborate plan. When they arrived at the old manor, Damon carried Bonnie inside, Jeremy following along while Lucy stayed in the car. When he got back they drove straight to the boarding house to talk to Elena and Stefan.

As soon as they stepped through the door, Elena was up and out of her chair. "What did you do with her?" she demanded of Damon, tears running down her face.

Lucy felt a little twinge of sympathy. She may not be Elena's biggest fan but she knew what it was like to think a loved one had been killed.

"Please calm her down," Damon said to Stefan.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," she snapped then turned her rage on Lucy. "This is all your fault. You refused to help us. You let her die." Lucy's head jerked to the side as Elena slapped her.

Damon stepped between them and pushed Elena back. "Hey! You need to calm down and listen." Lucy wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his back. "We couldn't have anticipated Klaus using Ric's body. There is no way to prepare for something like that. Klaus wasn't going to stop until Bonnie was dead. He needed to believe it. She cast a spell. Bonnie's okay."

He turned when he finished speaking and placed one hand on the side of Lucy's neck. "You okay?" he asked as he searched her eyes.

She nodded. He took her hand and they headed for their bedroom. Stefan stopped them on the stairs. "You know you could have told me."

"How do I know when you're going to go blabbing things to your girlfriend?" Damon said pulling Lucy tightly against his side.

"You even understand what you put her through?" Stefan asked.

"I think the words you're looking for are 'thank you for saving my girlfriend's best friend'." Lucy's anger was evident in her tone and Damon rubbed a comforting hand on her arm. She stepped away from his touch. "No, Damon. Don't try to calm me down. I'm sick of this shit. If she'd died they'd be pissed we didn't save her. She lives and he's pissed he wasn't in on the secret. It doesn't matter what you do, it's never right."

"I don't think you have a say in any of this," Elena said, appearing beside Stefan. "You didn't help anyone, including Damon. I don't understand why he's not furious with you. If I were him I wouldn't want you anywhere near me."

"Of course you don't understand because he's not a selfish bastard. He actually thinks about other people and what they're dealing with," Lucy snapped.

"Hey, Luce, Come on, it's okay," Damon said reaching for her arm.

She brushed him aside again. She wasn't near done. "You want to know why I didn't help you? Because Klaus saved my life and in return I owe him three tasks. I wasn't permitted to interfere until he left." Lucy moved down the steps toward the doppelganger. Stefan moved Elena so she was partly behind him. "But you want to know what the first task he asked of me was. He wanted me to deliver you to him. When I refused, he threatened to kill me and I still told him no. Don't make me regret that, Elena. Don't make all these people who are so willing to sacrifice themselves for you, regret it. Be more."

"More what?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"More than the martyr. More than the damsel in distress. Be more than the doppelganger. Come on Elena. Show us what you're made of." Lucy's gaze moved from Elena to Stefan and back again. "Now if you'll excuse me, I intend to show my boyfriend that _someone_ appreciates him."

* * *

 **A/N: Once again I must thank you all for the reads, follows, favorites, reviews. I love that you guys love this story so much.**


	19. Chapter 19

Lucy woke the next morning wrapped in Damon's arms. She could tell he was already awake. "Good morning," she said and pressed a kiss to his chest.

He hummed and kissed the top of her head. "Good morning, beautiful."

She snuggled closer to his chest. "I need to try to find Elijah today. Klaus daggered him."

"Do you think that's the best idea, babe? If the hybrid wants him daggered, maybe we should leave him daggered," Damon suggested.

Lucy pursed her lips. "Not gonna happen. Elijah is our only hope of getting Elena out of this alive."

He hummed again. "Maybe we can get baby brother to distract Ric, Klaus, whatever you want to call him."

She pushed herself up and smiled at her boyfriend. "You do have your occasional moments of absolute brilliance, Mr. Salvatore."

"Why thank you, Ms. Williams," he replied with a smirk.

* * *

They decided the most logical place to start their search would be Ric's apartment. Music blared from behind the door. Lucy glanced at Damon with an arched brow only for him to shrug in return. He had no idea what was going on either. He tried the knob to find the door locked. With a twist of his wrist, he broke the knob and pushed the door open.

Katherine froze when she saw them and grabbed a remote to turn down the volume on the stereo. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, it's certainly not to visit you," Lucy said with an arched brow.

"What are _you_ doing?" Damon asked her.

"Having a party. What does it look like?" the doppelganger snarked and guzzled from a bottle of liquor.

"Klaus is toying with her. She's been compelled." Lucy looked at the woman in question again. "I think I liked you better when you were busy stabbing yourself. Maybe you should go back to that."

"Listen here you little-"

"None of that now," Damon interrupted. "You wouldn't want to make me angry would you, Katherine?"

Lucy ignored them and stepped around the couch to find Elijah laying on the floor, dagger in his chest. "We've really got to stop meeting like this," she muttered even though the Original couldn't hear her.

There was a blur and suddenly Katherine was standing between Lucy and her uncle. "Klaus wants the dagger to remain where it is."

"You act like I give a shit. Move," Lucy snapped.

Katherine shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere." She crossed her arms and widened her stance.

Lucy shrugged. "Suit yourself." She pulled out her gun with the vervain darts and shot the other woman three times.

Once Katherine had slumped at Lucy's feet, she stepped over the body and pulled the dagger from Elijah's chest. She sat in a chair near him to wait.

"You shot her," Damon said, looking between her and Katherine with wide eyes.

"Sure did." She held her gun out to her boyfriend. "You want a turn. It's fun."

He shook his head as he chuckled. "I'm good, thanks."

It didn't take long for Elijah to sit up with a gasp. "Lucy. Damon. What happened this time?"

"Klaus," Lucy answered and Elijah nodded.

"We should go." He stood and straightened his suit. He arched a brow as he noticed Katherine on the floor and nudged her with the toe of her shoe. He glanced at Lucy and she showed him the vervain gun. With a hum, he bent and collected the three darts from Katherine's chest before handing them over to Lucy.

"Thank you," she said, hopping up and kissing his cheek.

* * *

That evening found Elijah sitting in the living room of the boarding house with Damon, Lucy, Stefan and Elena. The Original was telling them all the history of the doppelgangers and what exactly Klaus's plan was for Elena. He had just finished telling them of the elixir that would bring Elena back to life.

"And what if your elixir doesn't work?" Stefan asked.

"Then I stay dead," Elena responded with a shrug of her shoulder.

Damon tensed beside Lucy. "Are we seriously just all going to pretend we're okay with this?"

Lucy intertwined her fingers with his. "Of course it's not okay, baby. None of this is okay."

"It is important to remember that our options are limited, Damon," Elijah said. "Trying to stop Klaus from undoing this curse will only lead to limitless death. Not only will he kill you, he'll kill anyone that ever meant anything to you."

Lucy's phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out with a frown. Klaus. "Shit." She clenched her jaw as she answered. "Hello."

"Hello, Love. I believe you took something that belongs to me," the heavily accented voice drifted over the line.

"Sorry, I never learned to share as a child," she responded. It hadn't taken her long to realize the best way to communicate with the hybrid was a little flippancy mixed with just enough respect. He seemed amused by her. She'd take that as long as it kept her alive.

Damon sent her a death glare but Elijah's lips twitched as he tried not to show his amusement.

Klaus chuckled. "And if I told you to dagger him again?"

Lucy's eyes darted up to Elijah. "You really want to use your last task for that?"

He hummed in thought. "Good point, love. Once again I see why my brother is so attached to you."

After a moment of silence she said, "Was there something else you wanted?"

"Yes, actually. Your last task will be keeping any of your little friends from interfering with the ritual tomorrow," he replied.

"I'll do what I can."

"See that you do." With that he hung up.

The three other vampires in the room had their eyes locked on Lucy, obviously having heard both sides of the conversation. "What did he want?" Elena finally asked.

"He wants her to keep anyone from interfering with the ritual tomorrow," Stefan explained.

"Actually..." Lucy said then trailed off. She looked between the others in the room. "He didn't say anything about _me_ interfering."

* * *

They'd talked until late into the night trying to come up with a plan but failed miserably. Now they were sitting in the living room explaining to Ric what had happened while Klaus had control of his body. Elena excused herself and left the room, Lucy's eyes following her movements.

Elena was in some serious denial about the severity of her situation. It was breaking Stefan's heart and annoying the piss out of Damon. "I'll be back," Lucy said and got up to follow the teenager.

She found Elena in the kitchen drinking a glass of water. "Hey, Lucy."

"Why are you doing this?" Lucy asked.

Elena blinked. "Doing what?"

"Embracing the martyr again. You're always so willing to sacrifice yourself. Doesn't it ever occur to you to fight?" Lucy slowly made her way to Elena.

"I'm not going to let anyone else suffer because of me," Elena explained in a whine.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "So when you die, no one will suffer? Is that the thought process we've got going on here?" Annoyance flared through her. She was so tired of everyone else letting the teenager make the big decisions.

Without stopping to think too much about her actions, Lucy vamped out and bit her wrist. Putting her hand on the back of Elena's head, she pulled her forward and pressed her wrist to the girl's mouth. She held her like that until she was certain Elena had swallowed enough that she'd transition.

When Lucy released her, Elena wiped the blood away from her mouth. "Why did you do that?" she screeched, summoning everyone else in the house. Stefan arrived first.

He moved over to Elena, his gaze darting between the two women. "What did you do?" he snapped at Lucy, his eyes wide with fear.

"I fed her my blood. She insists on dying, I made sure she'll come back."

"As a vampire," Stefan yelled. "How could you do that to her?"

"Being a vampire is a hell of a lot better than being dead. She'll get used to it. It's not the end of the world," she said, already bored with the conversation.

Stefan sped to Lucy and shoved her with all of his strength.

She flew into the wall, landing with a groan. "Ow."

In a moment, Damon was between them, pushing his brother back against the closest wall. "Keep your hands off my girlfriend, Stefan. We both know you're just pissed you didn't think of it first."

Stefan punched Damon twice in the face. When he went to hit him the third time, a hand wrapped around his neck and pushed him back against the wall once more.

"I am afraid that I can not allow you to harm Lucy or Damon any further," Elijah said calmly. He held Stefan there until he quit struggling. "I will release you now and you will behave yourself. Is that understood?"

"Yeah," Stefan breathed out. Once he was free, he rushed to Elena's side. "Why don't you and Lucy just leave Damon? I think that's for the best right now."

Lucy shrugged and followed Damon and Elijah outside.

Elijah pursed his lips and looked down at his niece. "The elixir won't work now. You've rendered it useless."

She shrugged. "It wasn't like you were entirely certain it would work in the first place."

"She'll never forgive you for this."

"Oh, no, Elena will never forgive me. What shall I do?" Lucy said in a completely monotone voice. "She's selfish. She needs to get over it. I did."

Elijah gave her a small smile. "I will see you tonight, Lucy. Damon."

"So my little troublemaker," Damon said looping an arm around his girlfriend's waist, "whatever shall I do with you?"

"To the Grill, Salvatore. I need a drink."

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so much for over 300 follows, 200 favorites and 60 reviews. You guys are awesome.**


	20. Chapter 20

They had no sooner ordered their drinks than Ric joined them. "Elena's pissed. Stefan's pissed. Jenna's pissed. Good job, Lucy."

"And you?" she asked.

"I think that when Elena's still around tomorrow they'll get over it. It's not like your life ambition was to be a vampire, yet here you are. She'll get used to it. Maybe," he said with a shrug.

Lucy clinked her glass against his then Damon's. "To the ones who get it," she said before downing the drink and signaling for another.

"My, my, my. What a trio of glum faces," an accented voice said behind them.

Lucy turned to see a man smirking at them. He took his hand in hers and she couldn't help noting how attractive he was. She preferred Damon, but still.

"Hello, Lovely," the man said before kissing the back of her hand.

"Klaus, I presume," Damon said, sounding disgusted.

"In the flesh." Klaus shifted his gaze to Ric. "Thanks for the loner, mate."

Damon stood and shifted so he stood between Lucy and the hybrid. "Any particular reason you stopped by to say hi?"

"Just wanted to remind all of you not to do anything you'll regret. And pick up my girl here."

Damon's shoulders went tight. "I'm afraid you're mistaken. Lucy's _my_ girl."

Klaus shrugged and smirked again. "We'll see, won't we?"

"I don't suppose we could talk you into a postponement?" Ric asked. Lucy pursed her lips to refrain from commenting.

"You are kidding," Klaus said. When he didn't answer, he looked around Damon to Lucy. "He is kidding?"

"Not really, no."

"Let me make myself perfectly clear. I have my vampire. I have my werewolf. I have everything I need. If you want to live to see tomorrow, you will not interfere." He held out a hand. "Come, Lucy. Or do I need to hurt your little friends here to get you to cooperate?"

"Now just a minute—" Damon started. Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder as she stood.

"It's all right,Damon. I'll see you later." She didn't dare look back as she followed Klaus from the Grill. One last task and she'd be done. Klaus would be dead and this would all be over. She just needed to keep reminding herself of that fact.

* * *

"You should be happier, love. The whole world changes tonight and you're on the winning side," Klaus said as they finally pulled up in front of Ric's apartment building.

"I tend not to be happy when people are dying, just on general principle," she responded.

He huffed a laugh and led the way to the apartment. When he opened the door and stepped inside, he froze. Lucy almost ran into him. She started to ask him what was going on when she caught Damon's scent coming from the apartment. What was he up to?

"What have you been doing?" Klaus asked, as if voicing her thoughts.

"Making coffee," Katherine said. "Want some?"

Lucy closed the door behind them and leaned against it as she watched the scene before her. Klaus flashed to Katherine and picked her up by her throat. "What have you been doing?"

"Making coffee," she choked out.

"And before that?"

"Damon was here. He wanted to know where you were keeping the werewolf."

Klaus snarled. "And what did you tell him?"

"The tomb."

He growled and twisted his hand to snap her neck, letting her fall to the floor. Within seconds he stood in front of Lucy, his hands on either side of her head, boxing her in. He tilted his head and the muscle in his jaw twitched. "You were supposed to keep your friends with interfering with my plans, Lucy. Yet your little boyfriend seems to be right in the thick of it. Care to explain?"

"If you will recall, the last time I saw Damon we were enjoying a drink at the Grill. Perhaps, if you had left me with him, I would be able to stop whatever idiocy he's concocted," Lucy said, sounding far more confident than she felt.

Klaus dropped his head for a moment before looking back up at her. "Be careful, Love. My fondness for you will only let you get away with so much." He stepped away and pulled out his phone. He scowled when there was no response to his call. "I'll be back. Stay here," he ordered.

* * *

When Klaus returned he was not happy to put it mildly. He stormed in and pulled up a video on his computer. For some reason Katherine tried to make conversation with him, probably because Lucy had refused to speak with her when she recovered from having her neck broken. Suddenly, the door flew open and Damon rushed in. He glanced at Lucy before turning his attention back to the threat in the room.

Annoyance flared on the hybrid's face. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to tell you that you have to postpone the ritual."

"Didn't we already have this conversation?" Klaus asked, sounding bored.

"That was before I released your vampire and your werewolf and killed your witch," Damon said with a smirk.

Lucy's stomach dropped. What was he thinking? He was going to get himself killed.

Klaus shot up from his chair and went toe to toe with Damon. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. It was all me."

Klaus's eyes narrowed. "I was expecting your brother to be the heroic one, quite frankly. I've heard you were impulsive but this seems a bit much. Perhaps you care more for the girl than you care to let on in front of Lucy here."

Damon meet Lucy's gaze. "You thought I was the vampire, didn't you?" she asked, suddenly realizing what his motivation had been.

Klaus smirked. "Misjudged that one, didn't you mate?" His gaze shifted between Lucy and Damon. "Of course, now that you've shorted me a vampire..." he trailed off and shrugged his shoulders before snapping Damon's neck.

Lucy sucked in a breath even though she knew Damon would be all right. "Come along, love," Klaus said, holding out a hand for her. She arched a brow and remained in her seat. She'd be damned if she'd just cooperate with becoming a sacrifice. Unlike Elena, she was already a vampire so she wouldn't be coming back.

Klaus frowned in thought then smiled. "I'm not going to kill you, Lucy. You're far too important for that."

Not sure if she should trust him or not, she realized she didn't really have a choice and took his offered hand. He helped her to her feet and wrapped an arm around her waist to steer her to the door. She pulled him to a stop. "What about her?" she asked, gesturing at Katherine. "Shouldn't we take her with us? Just in case? Not for nothing, but if you do end up needing another vampire, I'd prefer not to be it."

"Very well," he said and turned to the vampire doppelganger. "Katerina, you will come with us. You will behave yourself and do everything Lucy here says. Understood?"

"Understood," the bitchy vampire said through clenched teeth.

Lucy couldn't keep a smirk from her lips. This could fun.

* * *

 ** **A/N: Just a note to remind you that Damon was with Lucy. He didn't give Katherine vervain. He had no reason to. Hope you liked it. As always, thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews.****


	21. Chapter 21

Lucy followed Klaus as they tromped through the woods towards the quarry. Katherine skipped along in front of them.

Klaus glanced at Lucy from the corner of his eye. "Is the skipping really necessary, love?"

She sighed. "Stop skipping, Katherine. You're annoying Klaus."

Katherine stopped moving entirely to glare at Lucy who just smiled. She'd already told the vampire doppelganger that she wasn't permitted to speak. And Klaus had compelled her not to injure herself or either of them. To put it simply, Katherine was not a happy vampire right now.

It didn't take long for Lucy to see flames in the distance. As the reached the edge of the clearing, she stopped and took in the scene before her. Three circles of flame surrounded three women. Elena was in one, the werewolf Jules was in another and the last held Jenna-Elena's aunt and Ric's girlfriend.

Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to find a way to get Jenna out of this.

"You're seriously helping him?" Elena yelled at Lucy, who promptly turned her back on the doppelganger to watch Klaus as he talked to his witch.

She was running out of time to save Jenna. A scream sounded behind her and Lucy spun to find Jules laying on the ground clutching her stomach. Her eyes met Lucy's. "Everything I did was to help Tyler," she said. "I didn't want him to be alone."

Lucy crouched down and tilted her head to the side. "You almost killed me. You would have killed my boyfriend. I'm not inclined to feel very sympathetic toward you right now." She glanced to the side where Jenna waited with wide eyes and trembling hands.

"Come here, Katherine," Lucy called as she stood.

Klaus's eyes followed Katherine as she stomped over. Lucy gave him a lopsided smile and a little wave and he turned his attention back to the witch. Lucy leaned toward Katherine so she could speak next to her ear. "I'm going to distract the hybrid. While I do that you're going to break the circle and take Jenna's place. Then you will stand there like a good little sacrifice and wait your turn. You will do nothing to warn anyone. You will simply stand here until you notice Klaus is paying no attention to you. Nod if you understand."

Lucy straightened and Katherine nodded her head. Pure fury contorted her features and tears welled in her eyes. She'd been running for five hundred years and there was nothing she could do to save herself from her final, inevitable end. Lucy moved closer to Jenna's circle but didn't look at her. "Don't look at me, Jenna," Lucy instructed, her voice low. "When you get the chance, run. Don't stop, don't think, just run."

Lucy moved toward the hybrid and watched as he pulled out the moonstone. "Klaus?" she called and he turned to her with arched brows. She said nothing else until she was right in front of him. She approached at an angle so he had to turn his back slightly on the circles to remain facing her. "I realize you've been waiting for this chance for a thousand years or so but can I have half a minute before you break your curse?"

He glanced at Greta and handed her the stone. "You have two minutes," she said with a glance at the sky.

He turned back to Lucy with his hands out to the side. "Well, you heard the witch, sweetheart. I'm all yours for two minutes."

She closed the distance between them and looked up at him through her lashes. "I...I wanted..."

Klaus chuckled. "So shy all of a sudden. What is it, love? You're running out of time."

She grasped his jacket in her hands and yanked him forward, crashing her lips into his. He stood stunned for a moment then quickly returned the kiss. One hand tangled in her hair while his other arm wrapped around her waist to hold her to him. Finally, she pulled away and smoothed out his jacket with her hands.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what brought that on?" he asked.

"Distraction," she answered and took a large step away from him. A quick glance across the clearing showed Katherine standing in Jenna's place with the redhead nowhere in sight.

Klaus frowned. Lucy could see the moment realization dawned and he spun toward his sacrifices. With a growl he flashed in front of her and grasped her arms in a bruising grip. "You swore not to interfere. You owed me. Your life is mine now."

"Actually," Lucy said then cleared her throat. "My third task was to keep my friends from interfering. You said nothing about me and Katherine is certainly not my friend."

"Klaus," Greta snapped from behind him. "It is time."

He didn't respond to her as he continued to glower at the vampire in his grip.

"You still have a vampire, Klaus," Lucy pointed out in a soft voice. "One you hate, in fact. Go break your curse." Her eyes stayed locked on his as he studied her.

"You and I aren't finished," he promised before releasing her. He marched over to Greta without a backward glance.

The witch tossed the moonstone in the fire on the altar and the flames flared. Klaus made his way toward Jules. With a motion of his hand, the circle of flames surrounding the werewolf died out. Jules lunged for him, but he took her down easily and ripped the heart from her chest. Lucy clenched her teeth to keep from releasing a sound of disgust. He carried the organ to the altar and squeezed the blood from it.

Not caring to watch anymore, Lucy began to patrol the perimeter. It wasn't long before she sensed another presence. Stefan. She sighed as she headed that direction.

"Well, well. I don't recall you being on the guest list," Klaus said just as she came up behind Stefan.

"I came to talk to you. We thought you were going to use Jenna in the ritual."

Klaus flashed up to stand beside Stefan. "Oh I was. Until your little friend here got involved. Isn't that right, Lucy?"

Stefan turned in surprise. "Lucy?"

She shrugged.

"Take care of this," Klaus said before rushing off.

Lucy pushed Stefan away from the cliff edge until they were out of sight. She ignored the doppelganger yelling Stefan's name. "Run, Stefan. Go find Jenna and get her to safety. I'm going to tell him I broke your neck. If you come back here, he will kill me. Do you understand?"

Stefan nodded. "What happened with Jenna?" he whispered.

"I had Katherine take her place. Long story which I'll explain later."

"Thank you." With that, he took off and Lucy made her way back to the clearing.

When she arrived she found Klaus draining blood from Katherine's corpse. "Oh, come on," Lucy said. "That was the only part I really wanted to see."

"Sorry, love," Klaus said as he took the bowl of blood and handed it to Greta.

"What did you do to Stefan?" Elena snapped at her.

Lucy glanced at the girl. "I broke his neck. He'll be fine."

"Some friend you are."

"On the contrary. I am rather fond of Lucy," Klaus said.

"You would be," Elena responded.

"Now, that's not very nice," he said and held out his hand as the flames died. "Come along, it's time."

Elena ignored his hand and went to stand beside Katherine's body. He shifted his body so his hand was held out to Lucy instead. She took it and let him lead her across the clearing to the altar. He thanked Elena and drained her of blood, letting her body drop into the dirt. All the flames died out as Klaus just stood there. Eventually, he walked forward into the center of the clearing. He looked up at the full moon.

"I can feel it. It's happening," he said seconds before his body started to contort.

Lucy ran past him to the witch, snapping her neck as Klaus flew across the clearing. The fires flared back up and Bonnie stepped into view. Klaus looked from her to Lucy. "You betrayed me," he growled out. The pain in his words made her feel slightly guilty but only slightly. He jerked his head back toward Bonnie. "And you were dead."

She continued to chant and fire flared up and raced toward him.

A hand touched Lucy's back and she jumped before realizing it was Damon. She turned and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. She turned her face to the side just in time to see Stefan emerge from the woods and pick up Elena's body. "Jenna?" Lucy asked.

"She's fine. She's with Ric," Damon answered. Lucy turned in his arms as Klaus's screams pierced the air. He crawled backward across the ground trying to get away from Bonnie. His gaze shifted back to Lucy. Her heart ached at the plea in his eyes. She closed her eyes and forced her feet to remain firmly planted on the ground.

"Elijah," Klaus gasped out and Lucy's eyes flew open.

"Hello, brother," her uncle said just before driving his fist into his brother's chest. "In the name of our family, Niklaus..."

"I didn't bury them at sea," Klaus spat out.

Lucy took a step forward. "No, no, no." She knew what this meant. Elijah's family was everything to him. He would do anything to get them back. Including betraying a bunch of teenagers. But if Klaus didn't die, he would come after her. There was no question about that.

"Their bodies are safe," Klaus continued. "If you kill me you'll never find them."

Lucy and Damon moved closer to the brothers. "Elijah, don't listen to him," Damon said.

"I can take you to them." Tears ran down Klaus's face as he tried to convince Elijah not to kill him. "I give you my word...brother."

"Do it and I take you both out," Bonnie said from beside them.

Elijah glanced at her. "You'll die."

"I don't care."

Damn it. Lucy couldn't let Elijah die anymore than she could kill Bonnie. She moved closer to her uncle. He studied Klaus for a moment more then turned back to look at them. His eyes locked on Lucy's and she ran toward him, ignoring Damon's shouts behind her. "I'm sorry," Elijah said. He grasped her wrist and suddenly she was racing through the dark-two originals beside her.


	22. Chapter 22

Lucy's head spun as she came to a sudden stop. "Stay here," Elijah told her as he left her by a large tree. He took Klaus further away before dropping him. Once his heart had been released from his brother's grip, Klaus immediately began completing the transition that had been interrupted earlier. She held her breath as his body contorted and bones snapped. She hadn't been that frightened of him before, her attitude had been almost playful in fact. But, now...Now he was an Original hybrid and he was going to be furious with her.

Elijah wiped the blood from his hands with his handkerchief as he made his way back to her. "I am sorry, Lucy. But if my family lives, I must find them."

She raked a hand through her hair. "I'm not going to fault you for letting your brother live, Elijah. The others will. And you should know that I took actions based on the belief that he wouldn't be around to retaliate."

He tilted his head to the side and his gaze narrowed. "If it were any other vampire, I would tell you to run. But Niklaus tends to hold a grudge. It will be better to face it head on."

A howl cut through the night air and they both jerked their heads toward the sound to find a large black wolf staring at them. Or, more precisely, at Lucy. Elijah moved until he stood between her and the wolf. "Now is not the time, Niklaus," he said, his voice firm.

Klaus stood there a moment more before turning and running off into the night. "I cannot lose sight of him," Elijah said before following. Not having any idea where she was, Lucy sighed and trailed after.

* * *

"Why the hell did he take, Lucy?" Damon snarled as he threw his glass across the room. It hit the wall with a resounding smash and broken pieces littered the ground.

Stefan sighed as he moved to pick up the shards. "Feel better?"

"No. No I don't." Damon raked both hands through his hair. "I need to find my girlfriend and that deranged hybrid her uncle ran off with."

"Well, Bonnie is still recovering from using so much magic. You're going to have to be patient," Stefan told him.

"I'm afraid that's not going to work out so well for me, brother."

Stefan frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Damon rolled up his sleeve and turned his arm so Stefan could see the bite mark. "Tyler Lockwood nipped me."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

He shrugged. "I didn't think I needed to. Elijah was supposed to kill Klaus. I could have just sipped some of his blood and there'd be no reason to worry."

Stefan straightened his suit jacket. "I'm going to pick Elena up for John's funeral. Are you coming?"

Damon arched a brow. "I hated John Gilbert. Why the hell would I go to his funeral?"

"For Elena," Stefan said as if it should have been obvious.

Damon shook his head. "I need to keep looking. Elena will understand."

"And if she doesn't?"

He shrugged. "I guess she'll get over it."

Stefan sighed and shook his head before walking out of the house. Damon pulled his phone out and dialed Lucy's number for what felt like the hundredth time since the ritual. Once again she didn't answer. Where the hell was his girl?

He tossed his phone onto a nearby table and grunted as pain flared through his arm. He turned his arm so he could see the wound. What had started as a small, barely there bite now festered and throbbed. Clenching his teeth together he opened the drawer in a small table and pulled out paper and a pen.

If he didn't find Lucy in time, he wanted to tell her exactly how he felt.

* * *

"Are you still not speaking to me then?" Elijah asked from where he leaned against the trunk of a tree as they watched Klaus sleep.

Lucy scowled at her uncle. "What do you want me to say, Elijah? Did you want me to be thrilled that you dragged me out here? My phone is dead. You refuse to allow me to use yours. Damon is probably going insane with worry. I've spent the past two days helping you clean up your brother's messes. The brother who will undoubtedly try to kill me the first time you're not around by the way."

"Yes, about that..." Elijah said shooting her a questioning look. "I hardly think Niklaus will want to be rid of you simply for exchanging his sacrifices. He still completed the ritual. I believe you are worrying needlessly."

"It's not what I did. It's how I did it." She grimaced as she thought about the kiss.

Before he could respond, Klaus awoke and pushed himself off the ground as he looked around. Elijah threw clothes at him. "You've been busy," he said.

Lucy walked a short distance away and turned her back. She preferred not to see full frontal Klaus if she could help it. She kept an ear on their conversation.

"That was amazing," Klaus responded. "How long has it been?"

"Almost two days. Full moon came and went yet you remained a wolf."

"I can change at will then. Good to know. I remember every single kill." Klaus sounded pleased.

"Yes, I've been cleaning up your little mess along the way," Elijah told him. "Or should I say, we have."

Lucy grimaced but took that as her cue to turn around. While the hybrid still wasn't fully clothed, at least he'd put on pants.

He gave her a half-smile but she could see the hurt and anger in his eyes. "Lucy. I didn't expect to see you here, love. Come to betray me again?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the ground. "I did what needed to be done. That should be familiar to you."

He hummed and she glanced up to find him studying her intently.

"This can wait, Niklaus. We had a deal," Elijah said, drawing his attention.

"Yes, brother. You wish to be reunited with our family. I will see to it shortly." He finished dressing, his gaze kept drifting over to Lucy. She forced herself to stand her ground. After Elijah helped him with his jacket, Klaus turned. "Has she been out here with you the whole time?" he asked and indicated Lucy with a nod of his head.

Elijah pursed his lips. "Of course."

Klaus smiled at the two of them. "Shall we?" he asked and started moving through the trees.

Lucy frowned. Why did everyone have a better sense of direction than she did? She trudged along behind them, looking at her feet more than anything else. She just wanted to go home. She wanted Damon.

Klaus's hand wrapped around her upper arm and Lucy jumped. Fear flooded through her as she glanced over at him. "Can't have you disappearing on me before we have our chat, can we, love?"

She didn't even try to fight him. He was infinitely stronger than her. There was no question of that.

"Niklaus, I find it pertinent to remind you that I consider Lucy family. You will remember that, won't you?" Elijah asked with narrowed eyes.

"Of course, brother. I wouldn't dream of harming our little Lucy."

If anything the words only made her feel more terrified. It wasn't long before they arrived at Alaric's apartment. "Let me get cleaned up and we'll take care of our business," Klaus said as he opened the door.

Lucy gasped in surprise as she spotted Stefan searching through things in the apartment. Klaus followed her gaze. "Well, you just keep popping up, don't you mate?"

"I need your help," Stefan said, his gaze darting between Klaus and Lucy. Something was seriously wrong, she could tell.

"You'll have to wait a moment. I have other business to see to." He finally released Lucy and she barely resisted the urge to rub her arm.

Stefan ignored the Mikaelsons and made a beeline to her. "Are you okay?" he asked in a low voice. "Damon's been freaking out."

She nodded. "My phone died. How is everyone else?"

He glanced at the floor than back up before licking his lips. "Tyler Lockwood bit Damon."

Lucy sucked in a breath as panic shot through her. "What? Is he all right?"

"Is everything okay, Lucy?" Elijah asked taking a step in their direction.

"You have your own problems to worry about, brother," Klaus said from behind him.

Elijah spun and Klaus buried a dagger in his brother's chest. Lucy closed her eyes against the sight of her uncle's face turning gray once more. If only she could close her ears against his sounds of pain. She knew he would wake once the dagger was removed, but that didn't make it any easier to witness. After his body fell to the floor with a thud, Klaus turned to the two of them. Stefan stood slightly in front of Lucy as if trying to protect her. She grasped his hand with both of hers and he squeezed back in comfort.

The hybrid prowled across the floor and his gaze darted between the two of them before settling on Stefan. "Now. What can I do for you?"

"Damon was bit by a werewolf," he answered with a tight jaw. Lucy felt slightly relieved. He wouldn't have come for Klaus's blood if Damon was already dead.

"And thanks to my lovely brother here, you lot are aware my blood is the cure," Klaus said, annoyance coloring his words. "And why should I help you? What's in it for me, as they say?" He hooked his hands together behind his back and looked at Lucy. "It would seem things would be much simpler for me if Mr. Salvatore was out of the picture."

Lucy pushed her way past Stefan and looked up to meet Klaus's gaze. "What do you want, Klaus?"

He studied her for a moment before letting the back of his hand run down the side of her face. "It seems you and I have been here once before though it was Elijah negotiating for your life. But you see, Lucy, this time it's not you that will have to pay the price." His hand suddenly cupped her chin tightly, holding her head in place as he stared into her eyes.

She struggled briefly and then froze as his eyes locked onto hers. "And why should you? After all, Damon Salvatore is nothing more than your friend. The thought of you being in love with him is absurd. After all, you love me. Have since the first time you saw me. Isn't that right, love?" he said.

Lucy blinked wondering why Nik was holding her this way. She hooked a hand around his wrist. "Nik? What's wrong? Are you angry with me?" Tears came to her eyes and he loosened his hold slightly.

He smiled. "Of course not. How could I be mad at my girl? And you are going to be a good girl and do whatever you can to please me. Aren't you, Lucy?"

He released her completely and she slid her arms around his neck. "I love you, Nik. You know that. What's with all this all of a sudden?"

His hands found her waist as he gave her that dimpled smile she loved so much. "Sorry, love. Just feeling a little insecure I suppose."

"Well you don't need to. I don't love anyone but you," she responded before hugging him tightly.

He chuckled and hugged her back. She closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest, just enjoying the moment. When Lucy opened her eyes she saw Stefan staring at them with a horrified expression on his face.

* * *

 **A/N: You guys...so many follows and favorites and reviews. It makes me happy y'all love this story so much. And I am very, very sorry for what I have done. My poor heart.**


	23. Chapter 23

Lucy sat on the sofa in Ric's apartment watching as Nik fed Stefan bag after bag of blood. She knew Stefan preferred the bunny diet but this was his choice. This was Nik's price for saving Damon.

"Why did you do it?" Stefan asked, shifting his gaze between Lucy and Niklaus.

Lucy frowned at her friend. She didn't like seeing him so upset. "Why did he do what, Stefan?"

Nik tilted his head and clicked his tongue. "I wouldn't if I were you, mate. Might make things messy."

Stefan looked torn, as if he was having some sort of internal debate about what to do. Nik held out another bag of blood. "Stay here and live your life or embrace what you truly are and come with me. Ten years and you save your brother. What's ten years in the life of a vampire, Ripper?"

Lucy shook her head. This didn't feel right. Stefan didn't want this. Sure, Damon needed Nik's blood but surely there were other ways to get it. Nik turned to her with a smile. "Don't worry about any of this, love. Everything will work out just as it's meant to."

Nik was right. She worried too much. Stefan could make his own choices. Which he did when he snatched another bag of blood from Nik's hand and ripped the top off before squeezing the contents down his throat.

"Do me a favor, love. Take some of my blood to Damon so he can get over that pesky bite while I talk to our friend here. He's going to go on a little trip with us."

Something didn't sound right about that, but Lucy couldn't place what was wrong. "If we're going on a trip, shouldn't I pack?"

Nik smiled at her. "Good idea, love. Why don't you pack a bag for Stefan as well? Not much mind you. We can buy what we need."

She nodded and watched as he drained some of his blood into a bottle. He put a stopper in the top and held it out to her, pulling it back as she reached for it. "Now listen, sweetheart. You do whatever you need to return to me, yeah? If Damon tries to stop you, you tell him that I will kill his brother if you aren't back here within the hour."

Her eyes darted between her love and her friend. "You wouldn't really kill Stefan would you?"

"If that's what it took to get my girl back? Absolutely." He laid a hand against her cheek. "Make sure you give Damon my regards before you come back to me, all right? Oh, and before I forget it's best to leave Elijah daggered for now. I'm afraid he wouldn't agree with some of my plans."

She nodded and held her hand out for the bottle. He laid it across her palm with a smile. "I'd hurry love. I doubt he has much time left."

* * *

Lucy sped to the boarding house and let herself in. She listened and heard a soft murmur of voices coming from Damon's room. She leaned against the door frame and watched Elena give Damon a soft kiss. A pang of jealousy made Lucy frown. She shouldn't care who Damon kissed. She had Nik after all. He turned his face away from Elena. "You're not Lucy," he muttered.

"Yeah, well Lucy's not here is she?" Elena said sounding a little bitter.

"Actually I am," Lucy spoke up. "And aren't you supposed to be a vampire?" she asked Elena.

The girl turned in surprise. "Long story."

"Lucy?" Damon asked. He sounded just this side of dead.

She moved over to the bed and smiled at him. "I'm here, Damon. I brought Nik's blood." She opened the bottle and poured the thick liquid into Damon's mouth. It only took a minute for him to start looking better.

His hands grasped her arms. "Where have you been? I was so worried." His blue eyes studied her, making her feel uncomfortable. Guilty.

She took a step back, pulling her arms from his still weak grip. "I was with Nik. Where else would I be?"

"Nik?" Elena asked from behind her. "You mean Klaus."

Lucy nodded.

"And Stefan?" the girl asked.

Lucy arched a brow and looked her over. "Do you care? You seemed pretty happy with Damon when I got here."

"It's not what you think, Luce," Damon protested and sat up in the bed.

She shrugged. "Why should I care what you do or who you do it with, Damon? Whatever makes you happy."

He stood slowly and she automatically reached out a hand to steady him if needed. He looked better than he did when she got there but not great. He frowned, looking at her like something was wrong with her. "You're what makes me happy, Lucy. Just you."

Her cheeks flushed. "I'm sorry, Damon, but I love Nik."

His eyes went wide and he took a step closer to her. He grasped her hand in his and lifted it to his lips, his eyes staying locked with hers. She tilted her head as she tried to figure out what he was about. He turned her hand and quickly bit her wrist before drawing away with a hiss. "No vervain. Son of a bitch. He compelled you."

Lucy sighed. "Don't be ridiculous, Damon. I won't tell him you bit me. That would only piss him off."

He closed the distance between them. "If you love him, why do you care if I piss him off?"

She frowned. "You're still my friend. Just because I don't love you doesn't mean I don't care about you."

His eyes slipped closed and he grimaced.

"Are you okay? Does the bite hurt?"

"The bite's fine, baby." He raked a hand through his hair. "Where's Elijah?"

"He's daggered for right now. It's for the best," she answered without thought.

Damon dropped his hands on her shoulders and gave her a little shake. "Listen to yourself, Lucy. Does any of this sound like you? Snap out of it."

She stepped out from under his hands. "Stop it, Damon. Just stop."

"Where is Stefan?" Elena asked again, all but yelling this time.

Lucy's eyes darted to the girl. "He's going on a trip with me and Nik. It was the payment for the cure."

A muscle twitched in Damon's jaw. "A trip? Like hell. You're not going anywhere, Luce. Not until I fix this." He reached for her again and she twisted away from him.

"There's nothing to fix. I had a certain amount of time to bring you the cure and get back. If I don't get back in time, he'll kill Stefan, Damon."

His hand dropped and tears pooled in his eyes. "And this is who you love? Come on, Lucy. Fight this."

She shook her head again and took another step away from him. "I have to go. I have to leave right now."

She paused in the doorway to find Elena looking confused and Damon looking utterly lost. It tugged at her heart but she needed to get back to Nik. She was afraid if she stayed any longer she wouldn't want to leave. That didn't seem right either. She shoved the thought away and gave Damon a small smile. "Nik wanted me to be sure to give you his regards."

With that, she turned and sped away from the room. As she reached the door of the boarding house she heard Damon release a yell of pure anger and anguish. The sound tore through her but she forced herself not to turn around. She had somewhere she needed to be.

* * *

 **A/N: As always, thanks for the reads and favorites and follows. For those of you who may be concerned where this is headed, I promise no rapey stuff on or off the page. Trust me.**


	24. Chapter 24

Lucy watched from the shadows as a blonde woman stepped from the house calling for the dog.

"You're on, sweetheart," Nik said by her ear and she nodded.

"Hey, hi," she said getting the woman's attention as she walked across the yard. "I am so glad to see you. I got in a fight with my boyfriend a couple of miles back and he kicked me out of the car. I don't even know where I am and yours is the first house I've came to. Can I use your phone?"

"Don't you have a cell phone?"

Lucy shrugged. "It's in his car along with my purse. Bastard."

The girl frowned but nodded. "All right. Stay here. I'll bring the phone to you."

"You mean I can't come in?"

Nik stepped from the shadows. "I thought you country folk were supposed to be more trusting."

She took a step back and looked between Nik and Lucy. "I'm from Florida."

"Well, that explains it," Nik said before grabbing the woman by her throat. "Now how about you show me a little southern hospitality, sweet pea." He glanced over at Lucy. "You wait in the car, sweetheart. I'll be along shortly."

Lucy nodded feeling uneasy at leaving the woman to suffer whatever Nik had planned but she brushed it off. He knew what was best.

Shortly after the screaming began, Nik returned to the car. "Hello, Love," he said with a grin as he slid behind the wheel.

Lucy slid closer to him, wishing she could just shut the screaming out. He looped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"We're going to have to make another stop, love. I think I've found my wolf," he told her.

She smiled up at him. "That's great news, Nik." Nerves fluttered in her belly but she sucked in a breath to steel herself. "I wanted to ask you something," she said before trailing off.

He placed a hand under her chin and lifted it so she was looking in his eyes. "What is it, sweetheart?"

She laid her hand against the side of his face. "Next time we stop at a hotel can we get our own room? You know, so we can have some privacy?"

Nik sighed and pulled away from her. "I've told you before, Lucy, I respect you. I wish to wait until we are wed before bedding you."

A voice inside of her screamed that he was lying. That nothing he said was the truth. "So marry me then," she huffed.

He turned to her with wide eyes. "What?"

"You heard me."

Nik pinched the bridge of his nose. "You don't want that, Lucy. Not really."

"But, Nik, I love you," she said.

He grabbed her hand and ran his thumb over the back of it. "Well discuss it after I find my wolves."

She turned from him to stare out the window. There was something going on with the hybrid and Lucy didn't like it. He used to kiss her on the lips and he didn't even do that anymore. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was falling out of love with her.

* * *

Damon glanced up at the house as Alaric pulled to a stop. Another lead, another likely dead end, but he had to try. His phone rang and he declined the call when he saw Elena's name. Yes, Elena wanted to find Stefan but honestly, she seemed rather indifferent most of the time. Like today she was having a birthday party at his house. All he wanted to do was find Lucy. If he found Stefan with her, great.

"It's quiet," Ric said and Damon looked at his friend.

"Too quiet," Damon agreed and headed for the house. Once he opened the door and could step over the threshold, he knew everyone was dead. If he hadn't already realized, the blood splashed across the walls and floor would have been a fairly decent indicator.

They found the girls sitting on the couch, dead and pieced back together. This had his brother written all over it.

"Vampire for sure," Ric said.

"Stefan for sure," Damon corrected.

"What about Lucy?"

Damon shook his head. "Never. Not like this."

"She's under Klaus's control, Damon. You don't know what he's made her do."

Damon nudged one of the bodies with his foot and the head rolled off onto the floor. He swallowed past the lump in his throat knowing Ric was right but still refusing to believe Lucy had anything to do with this.

* * *

Lucy had been sitting outside the bar not wanting to watch Stefan torture the werewolf. She wandered inside looking for Nik to check in only to see him talking a brunette. Lucy frowned and stayed back, listening to the conversation as Stefan approached the hybrid.

"My brother is still following us?" Stefan asked.

Nik nodded. "And getting closer. I'm going to have to do something about that."

"You know it's not me he's after. Send her home and she can get him to back off," Stefan said making Lucy frown.

"And why would I do that, Stefan? I am so fond of her company, after all."

"Damn it, Klaus. Just let her go. I'll stay. You saved my brother. I owe you, but let her go," Stefan pled with a fleeting glance in Lucy's direction. She took the hint and went back outside before Nik realized she'd heard any of the conversation.

She wandered around the edge of the parking lot, her arms wrapped around herself. Footsteps came up behind her and she knew who it was without turning. "What's going on, Stefan? What am I missing?"

She turned to her friend when he didn't answer to find him studying her. Finally, he shook his head. "I can't tell you anything, Lucy. Not now. I'm going to have a talk with Damon. I'll be back."

She gave him a hug. "Be careful, Stefan."

He kissed her temple. "You too."

* * *

"Stefan?" Damon called softly as he searched the warehouse where his brother had texted him to meet.

"Hey, Damon," Stefan said stepping out of the shadows.

"Man is it good to see you, baby bro." He glanced around knowing it was unlikely, but hoping Lucy was with Stefan.

"She's not here, Damon. She's with Klaus."

Damon sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "Yeah. I figured."

"Look, I know you're worried about her. About us. But you've got to stop trying to find us. If you don't, Klaus will kill you. I'm keeping an eye on her. Just...trust me to bring her back to you," Stefan said.

"It's not you I don't trust, Stef. Where's Elijah?"

"Daggered."

"Shit." Damon paced the floor before looking back to his brother. "I won't let him just keep her. I can't. I love her."

"I know you do. The thing is, I think he does, too." Stefan grimaced.

Damon's heart dropped. "What?" His voice was little more than a whisper.

Stefan shook his head. "I don't think it started that way. He wanted to punish her at first. But now... he protects her. He sends her away so she doesn't see anything violent. He hasn't slept with her, he won't even kiss her, Damon."

"Well, that's a relief, I've got to say."

"Look, if things keep going the way they are, he'll let her go soon. Until then, I'll keep an eye on her."

He nodded and handed an envelope to Stefan. "If you have a chance and think she won't blab to Klaus, give that to her, would you? I can back off for awhile, but I can't make any promises for Elena."

Stefan put the envelope away. "Do what you can. I can't control Klaus. I can only do my best to distract him."

* * *

When Stefan arrived back at the bar, he heard crying. He frowned and followed the sound around the side of the building. Lucy sat on the dirty ground, her back against the wall as she sobbed into her hands.

"Hey, hey, hey," Stefan said, crouching beside her. He pushed her hair behind her ear. "What's wrong, Luce? What happened?"

"What's wrong with me, Stefan?" she gasped as she looked at him. Fat tears rolled down her face and from the looks of things, she'd been crying for some time.

"What do you mean? Explain it to me so I can help," he coaxed.

She sucked in a shuddering breath trying to calm herself down. "Nik doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. I'm just a nuisance." She shook her head. "It never felt right, Stefan, like I love him more than he loved me, but it hurts. It hurts so much."

Stefan sighed. "Oh, Lucy. I wish I could fix this." He stood and held out a hand. "Come on." She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet before sweeping her up in his arms. Lucy leaned her head against his chest and let him carry her. That wasn't normal for her, but she was tired. Just so tired.

"You need to fix this," Stefan demanded as he strode into the bar.

Lucy glanced over to see Nik looking between them with wide eyes.


	25. Chapter 25

Klaus rushed over and took Lucy from Stefan's arms. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled against his chest. "What happened?" he demanded.

"She thinks there's something wrong with her. That you don't love her anymore," Stefan explained with a scowl. "Now, why would she think that?"

Klaus clenched his teeth together. This was all much more complicated than it was intended to be. It was supposed to teach Lucy a lesson about toying with his feelings, but now that he had her, he didn't want to let her go. If he removed her compulsion she would flee, he knew that. He also knew he couldn't keep her compelled forever. He brushed her hair back from her face to find her staring at him.

"Take the wolf to the car," he instructed. "We'll be along shortly."

Once Stefan left, Klaus sat Lucy on top of the nearest table and stood between her legs. He cupped the side of her face and looked in her eyes. A brief thought of compelling her sadness away crossed his mind, but that was what had gotten him in this situation in the first place. "I'm sorry you're unhappy, sweetheart. I don't mean to make you feel unwanted. I love you and once we're done with all this wolf business we'll spend some time alone together and I'll prove it to you. Okay?"

She gave him a small smile and a nod of her head. "Okay, Nik. I'm holding you to that."

He chuckled and pulled her against his chest. "Of course you are, love." He embraced her for a moment then held out a hand to help her off the table. He kept their fingers linked as he led her to the car. Stefan shook his head when he saw them walk out of the bar and Klaus did his best to shove his guilt into the deepest part of his soul.

* * *

Lucy trailed behind the other two as they walked through the forest looking for Ray's pack. Nik kept glancing over his shoulder to check on her and she'd smile or give him a little wave. She didn't like this, didn't really want to be here, but she didn't want to be separated from the two of them either. If they would quit bickering that would be fantastic though.

They slowed to a stop and Lucy came up to stand beside Nik. He draped an arm around her shoulders as they watched the wolves setting up camp. She found that odd since they were all going to shift anyway. Maybe they put their clothes in the tent to keep them dry? She shrugged. It didn't matter. Klaus led her over to a large tree and motioned for her to stay. She nodded once and leaned against the side.

Stefan walked into the camp and dropped Ray on the ground. As scared as the wolves looked, it was nothing compared to how they looked when Nik announced who he was. It didn't take long for her to back away from the clearing so she didn't have to watch as they were all fed Nik's blood then killed.

"You can come out now, Lucy," Nik called what seemed like an eternity later.

She kept her arms wrapped around her as she made way to her two companions. Bodies littered the clearing like yesterday's trash.

"They're all dead," Ray said as he shivered from his perch on a large rock.

"He's through his transition. He should be feeling better soon," Nik said as he tilted his head to look at the new hybrid.

Stefan huffed in annoyance. "So, is this your master plan? Build an army of hybrid slaves?"

"No, not slaves. Soldiers, comrades."

"For what war, might I ask?"

Lucy sighed. She'd give about anything for these two to quit bickering every five minutes. Blood began to leak from Ray's eyes. "Guys," she said.

"Not right now, love. I'm trying to teach Stefan here the tactical benefit of having an army so large no one would dare pick a fight," Nik said, brushing her off.

"Do you honestly think they'll be loyal?" Stefan snapped back.

"Guys," she said only to be ignored again.

"It's easy to be loyal when you're on the winning side," Nik started but she cut him off before he could say anything else.

"For fuck's sake, would you look?" she yelled with a gesture at Ray.

Nik arched a brow then turned to his wolf, taking a seat beside him when he saw the blood. He turned his head and looked him over. "Something's wrong."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "You don't say?"

* * *

Damon stood at the edge of the water he'd shoved Elena into a moment before. The stupid girl never listened to anything he said. She was going to get herself or Lucy killed.

"I'm not going home, Damon. You may have given up on them but I haven't. I need to help Stefan. Don't you want to save Lucy? Or do you not care about her anymore?" she snarked from the water, as if that would save her from him.

Damon strode into the water. "Don't you ever presume to speak about my relationship with Lucy. You can't possibly begin to fathom how I feel for her. She is here because Klaus compelled her. Stefan is here to protect her. And you. Klaus thinks you're dead. That is keeping you safe. Running around in a forest full of werewolves on the night of the full moon is not safe, Elena."

"Please, Damon. This is the closest I've been to him since he left," she begged.

He sighed. The truth was he wanted to see Lucy even if she wanted nothing to do with him. And maybe if Stefan told her himself, Elena would finally get the hint and let him go. "Fine. But we're out of here before nightfall," he relented.

"I promise," she said.

"I'm not kidding, Elena," Damon said.

"I said I promise."

* * *

"You said I'd feel better. Why don't I feel better?" Ray asked as he continued to bleed and shake.

"Some master race," Stefan snarked.

"Lose the attitude," Nik snapped back. Lucy ran a hand over his back trying to keep him calm.

One of the other wolves woke up and Nik instructed the human to feed her. No sooner had he spoken than Ray took off across the campsite. "Go get him," he ordered Stefan.

Lucy followed her friend with her eyes until she couldn't see him anymore but kept her place beside Nik. When Stefan didn't return immediately, Nik went in search of him. Lucy stayed where she was, watching the others as they woke up. Another wolf began to bleed from the eyes. What the hell was going on?

"Nik!" she called, a sick feeling settling in her stomach.

"What is it?" he asked as he came to stand beside her.

She gestured to the others.

He scowled. "It will be all right, love." He ran his fingers over her arm and went to check on his wolves.

Night had fully fallen by the time the last wolf revived. Lucy didn't like how they were acting and stayed glued to Nik's side. As he killed the human that had fed the wolves so they could transition, one of the wolves began walking toward them. Blood still ran from her eyes and her movements were jerky. She looked more like a zombie than a hybrid.

"There's only room for one alpha here," Nik said but she kept coming. Lucy gripped his arm as it became evident this wolf wasn't the only one acting that way.

"Damn it, Nik," she said in a low tone. She turned so they stood back to back as the wolves closed in.

"Can't blame me for this one, love. I did everything I was supposed to. It should have worked."

"Think I'll blame you anyway," she said even as the first wolf leapt in their direction.

Nik used its momentum to throw it further away from them but the next one was upon them in seconds. This was not going to end well.

* * *

Damon stared at his brother over the body of the hybrid that had tried to kill him. Stefan had ripped out its heart. "What part of quit following us did you not understand?"

"Technically I didn't follow you. I followed Elena. She's the one who came after you," Damon explained. "How's Lucy?"

Stefan raked a hand through his hair. "Physically she's fine. He takes care of her. Mentally? Emotionally? She's a mess. She doesn't act like herself. She cries a lot."

"Damn it." Damon bit his lip as he thought. He needed to get you out of this.

"Look, get out of here. Get Elena home. It would better for Klaus to lift the compulsion but see if Bonnie can find some sort of spell." Stefan bent and picked up the hybrid, draping him over his shoulders.

"And if we find something?" Damon asked as he looked over his baby brother.

"Find me. I'll help get her home. If you take her now you're going to have to lock her up until we fix her. None of us want that."

"All right, Stefan. Take care of my girl and I'll take care of yours."

Stefan waited until Damon was out of sight before turning to head back to the camp.

* * *

As the last wolf fell, Lucy heaved a sigh of relief. Some they'd ripped the hearts from. Others had collapsed on their own. They were all dead. Nik looked at the bodies, a sour expression on his face. They had spent so long to find the wolves and now they were gone. Wasted.

Pain radiated up her arm and she turned it to see the bite just above her wrist. She groaned in annoyance and walked over to Nik, grasping his hand to get his attention. He glanced down at her and gave her a weak smile.

"All right there, love?" he asked, his eyes searching her for injury.

She shook her head and turned her arm so he could see the wound.

Nik tsked and led her over to the large rock. He sat then pulled her into his lap before offering her his wrist. She bit into it and drank Nik's sweet blood. His free hand made circles on her back while she drank. She pulled back and licked his wound before leaning against him.

His arms wrapped around her to keep her close. "I don't understand it, Lucy. I did everything I was supposed to. I killed the werewolf. I killed the vampire. I killed the doppelganger. Why didn't it work?"

But the doppelganger wasn't dead. Elena was still very much alive. The words formed on the tip of her tongue, but she bit them back. She wasn't entirely certain why. After all, if she loved him, shouldn't she want to tell him everything?

* * *

A/N: As always, thank you for the favorites and follows and comments. So glad you're all liking the story.


	26. Chapter 26

When they arrived in Chicago, Lucy looked around in awe. She'd traveled a lot but Chicago was one place she'd never been. Nik stepped out of the car and clasped her hand in his. "I told you that you'd like it, love," he said.

When she merely nodded her head in agreement, he chuckled. "Come," he said as he pulled her toward a bar. "I have to see a witch about my hybrids."

Her and Stefan exchanged a glance and shrugged. As usual they had no idea what Nik was really up to. When they got inside, he sent her with Stefan to make drinks behind the bar. Lucy knew he just wanted to have a private word with his witch so she let Stefan make the drinks while she looked around. Her eyes fell on a black and white picture with two familiar people in it. Reaching over, she unpinned it from the wall and held it out to her friend. "Stefan?"

He took it from her with a frown then looked over at the hybrid. "What is this?"

"I told you, Stefan. Chicago is a magical place," Nik said with his normal smirk. He came over to join them at the bar.

"But this is me. With you."

"That it is, mate. Come with me and I'll tell you a story," Nik said before turning to Lucy. "We need to go retrieve my sister."

Lucy sighed. "Can I stay here, Nik? I'm so tired of running around." She gave him her best puppy dog eyes which only made him roll his own.

"Gloria, can my lovely Lucy stay here with you? Apparently she grows weary of my company." Lucy opened her mouth to argue then his teasing tone registered.

Gloria came over to the bar. "It's fine with me, as long as she's willing to work. No freeloaders here."

"That sounds wonderful actually," Lucy agreed quickly, anxious for a bit of normalcy.

"All right, love. I'll see you later," Nik agreed. Her eyes followed them until they walked out the door.

"He seems to really care for you," Gloria said, a touch of wonder in her tone. "How long have the two of you been together?"

"I..." Lucy's voice trailed off as she tried to remember. "I don't remember. Isn't that odd?"

The witch frowned. "Odd indeed."

* * *

Once the bar was open it didn't take long for it to fill and Lucy was happy running around helping out where she could. She always preferred being busy. She was chatting with a table as she delivered their drinks when she heard a familiar voice.

"Gloria, damn. If I knew you were going to age like this, I would have stuck around."

She turned and glanced behind her to see Damon striding across the bar. A grin split her face. It was so nice to see someone from home. And oddly, she found that she missed the elder Salvatore. "Damon!"

He spun at her shout, a look of pure surprise on his face. Tears welled in his eyes as he moved people out of the way to get to her. His arms wrapped around her and he squeezed her tightly against his chest. Lucy returned the gesture just enjoying the feeling of being held by him.

When he finally pulled away he cupped her face in his hands. "Jesus, Lucy. I've missed you so much." He looked around frantically. "Where's Stefan and Klaus?"

She shrugged. "Taking care of some things. How have you been? I've missed you."

He flashed his famous smirk. "You have?"

"Of course, Damon." She reached out and took his hand before pulling him over to the bar. They perched on a couple of the stools.

He seemed reluctant to release her hand so she let him keep hold of it. It wasn't like it would hurt anything. Besides, Nik wasn't here right now anyway.

Gloria stepped over and looked between the two of them. "I take it you two know each other." Amusement colored her words. She turned to Lucy. "How long have you known this one for?"

"Fifteen months, give or take a few days," answered Damon before Lucy had a chance to.

Gloria studied him as she slid him a glass of bourbon. "That's oddly specific for two people who are just friends."

"Isn't it though?" His voice was caustic.

Lucy frowned at Damon's bitter smile. She wished there was something she could do to make him feel better. She didn't like it when he was sad.

He downed his drink then turned to her. "Listen, Lucy. There are some things I need to do but I'll be back later, okay?"

She smiled. "Sure. Do you want me to tell Stefan you're here?"

"No, don't do that. I want to surprise him."

She nodded not liking the desperate note to Damon's voice. He stood and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. He glanced at Gloria. "Take care of my girl."

He was gone leaving Lucy frowning after him before she could protest that she wasn't his girl.

* * *

"There's my Lucy," Nik exclaimed joyfully as he and Stefan returned to the bar. Gloria had been watching Lucy intently since Damon left and she now shifted a portion of that to Nik. It made Lucy uneasy but she made it a point not to go around irritating witches if she could help it.

She sat on the stool beside Nik nursing a beer watching him and Stefan bond. It was...boring. She sighed at yet another story from Nik about the good ole days and took a long pull from her beer.

It wasn't until Stefan left and Damon took his seat that she became interested again. Nik glanced at the Salvatore then looked over at her. "Do me a favor and run along, Lucy. I need to have a word with your friend here."

She started to protest but knew the only thing she would accomplish was pissing Nik off. "Whatever," she said with a roll of her eyes and moved over to the other side of the bar. That didn't keep her from listening in.

Nik gave a low chuckle. "She's a handful that one. You must miss her."

"You could always give her back. Stefan too. We could all get out of your hair," Damon suggested.

Lucy frowned. They made it sound like Nik had taken her from Damon but she'd remember that. Wouldn't she?

"Sorry, mate. I'm afraid I've grown rather fond of her. I have to say you're persistent though. You don't give up, do you?"

"Give me Lucy and Stefan back and you'll never have to see me again."

"Well, I am torn. You see, I promised Stefan I wouldn't let you die but how many freebies did I really sign up for? And clearly you want to die or you wouldn't be here," Nik said as casually as he'd discuss the weather.

Lucy's chest went tight and she didn't bother trying to hide that she was watching now. She couldn't let Nik kill Damon. She just couldn't. Even as she had the thought, Nik grabbed Damon by the throat and lifted him into the air.

"Nik, stop it!" Lucy yelled as she hurried over.

He ignored her and jabbed the toothpick end of a cocktail umbrella into Damon's chest.

"Stop it," she yelled again and grabbed at his arm.

Nik growled and snarled at her. "Not now, sweetheart. Daddy's doing business." He flung his arm to the side and she went flying away from him through the air. She crashed against a table on the other side of the bar and groaned.

Lucy pushed herself to a sitting position and slid back against the wall. Relief flashed through Damon's eyes when they met hers. It was short lived however because Nik launched him through the air next. Thick tears rolled down Lucy's cheeks and she sucked in a breath, ready to scream as Nik broke the leg off a chair and prepared to stake Damon.

The stake went up in flames and Lucy's gaze darted over to the all but forgotten witch.

"Really?" Nik said.

"Not in my bar," Gloria snapped. "Take it outside."

"Nice job, Klaus," Damon grunted from his spot on the floor. "Do you throw all the women in your life or is Lucy just special?"

Lucy could see the moment realization set into the hybrid, the moment he realized what he'd done. His head snapped in her direction and his eyes looked her over for any injury. He was in front of her in a moment. Damon forgotten on the floor behind him.

Nik reached a hand toward her face and she flinched away. "Don't," was all she said.

"Lucy, please," Nik pleaded. "I didn't mean it."

Her eyes met his. "What did Damon mean when he said you could give me back?"

The hybrid tilted his head. "Nothing. He's just upset I took you with me when I left Mystic Falls."

"You're lying," she said quietly.

"Lucy," he snapped and reached out for her again.

Once more, she flinched and shifted away from him. "No. You don't get to touch me right now." She got to her feet and ran to the door before he had time to process what she was doing. She just needed some time to think.

"Lucy," he called, stopping her at the door.

She looked back at him to see a tear running down his cheek.

"Please."

She wasn't certain what he was asking for and in that moment she didn't care. She threw open the door and disappeared into the night.

* * *

 **A/N: This part of Lucy and Damon's story is approaching it's end. I've decided to write both a prequel and a sequel because I love them so much. In the meantime, I have posted a new story called Sacrificed: The Hybrid's witch. This is a Klaus x OC story and the first book in an eventual trilogy.**


	27. Chapter 27

Lucy's eyes darted around the dark when she emerged from the bar. Stefan came to a stop in front of her, his brow furrowed. "What are you doing out here? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just need some time to myself," she assured him without fully meeting his gaze.

"Okay," he agreed after a moment. "Be careful."

"Of course," she said. He moved past her to go back into Gloria's and her gaze found Damon. He was looking at her over the top of a car down the street. She watched him lean inside to talk to someone else before he headed in her direction. She met him halfway.

"You okay?" he asked, looking her over.

She shrugged one shoulder. "It will take more than a temperamental hybrid to hurt me, Damon."

"Yeah," he said. His voice was low and heavy with sorrow.

Lucy reached out and took his hand in hers. "Are _you_ okay?"

His eyes searched hers and he swallowed. "I miss you, Lucy."

"I miss you, too." The words came without thought. Almost as a reflex. She realized instantly that she meant them, however.

"Come home with me," he begged.

Lucy took a step back and pulled her hand from his. "I don't think that's a good idea, Damon."

He dropped his head forward and took a deep breath. "Okay, Luce. It's fine. I-I need to go. Call me if you need me, okay?"

She gave a little nod. "Sure, Damon."

He kept looking over his shoulder as he made his way back to the car, giving her one last wave before he slid inside. Lucy frowned. Why did it hurt so much to watch him drive away? What was she missing?

Lucy didn't return to the others that night. Instead, she kept her distance and watched from afar as Klaus raved at Stefan for letting her take off. She watched as they reunited with the Mikaelson sister. She wasn't sure what to make of the woman. The next day she trailed them as they went shopping and watched from across the street. Before long, Stefan headed for the door, undoubtedly needing a break. His eyes met Lucy's through the glass and she gave him a little wave. She stepped out of sight and waited for him to join her.

"Where have you been? Are you all right?" he asked as he found her.

"I'm fine, Stefan. I just…" She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I'm unsettled. I feel like something's not right."

He hummed in understanding and pulled out an envelope before handing it to her. She grabbed at it, but he kept hold of the other end. "You can't tell Klaus I gave this to you or he'll kill Damon."

She felt slightly nauseous at his words. "I won't I swear."

"And I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe text Klaus and let him know you're all right. He's freaking out."

Lucy nodded and pulled out her phone. When she turned it on, she ignored her notifications.

Stefan pressed a soft kiss to her head. "I should go. I'll see you later."

 _I'm fine. I'll find you later,_ she texted before immediately turning the phone back off. She didn't want to deal with Klaus right now. The truth was, she'd already forgiven him for the night before. It hadn't really hurt her when he threw her aside, but it had shocked her. Her issue now was this unsettled feeling that still filled her. The idea that she was missing something from her life.

Recalling a coffee shop she passed down the street, Lucy made her way to it. After getting herself a large mocha, she settled at a table in the back and opened the letter. She smiled when she saw Damon's familiar handwriting.

 _Lucy,_

 _I'm dying and I don't know where you are. Okay, that's a little dramatic. Lockwood bit me. All I need is a little blood from our resident hybrid and all will be fine. But Elijah ran off and took both of you with him. It's killing me that I can't find you, baby girl. And in case I don't find you before my time is up, I need to tell you some things._

 _The moment I first saw you, you took my breath away. Not just your looks. Don't get me wrong, you_ _are stunning, but it was your sassy attitude that sucked me in. I knew that I was in for a hell of a ride with you and I wasn't wrong. And I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything._

 _I love you, Lucy, with every part of my being. I don't deserve you, I never have and I never will, but I'm keeping you just the same. If this is it for me, baby, Just know that you were everything I always wanted. Every miserable moment of my existence was worth it because it brought me to you._

 _I will love you until for all of my life and beyond._

 _Damon_

Lucy read through the letter twice and was reading it for a third time when a voice interrupted. "Are you all right?"

Lucy jerked her gaze up to find an old man with a concerned frown on his face. "I'm sorry?" she asked.

"I asked if you were okay. You're crying."

Lucy hadn't noticed until the stranger pointed it out. She hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Yes, I'm fine. Just some unexpected news."

She hastily gathered her things and left before any more questions could be asked. She wasn't sure where she was heading, letting her feet take her where they would while her mind was still on the letter that was now folded and in her pocket. Why would Damon write something like that if they were only friends? And why did she remember so much of their past and so little of her time with Klaus? When she found herself in front of Gloria's, she wasn't entirely surprised. After glancing at her reflection in the window to make certain there was no further sign of tears, she opened the door and stepped inside.

"We're closed," Klaus's sister said as soon as Lucy stepped into view.

Klaus glanced up from his drink and his eyes widened. In a flash, he was up from his chair and standing in front of her. His hand cradled the side of her face and she resisted the urge to move away from his touch. His eyes ran over her and a sheen came to them as if he were trying not to cry. "I thought you left me," he said quietly. His voice broke on the last word.

Lucy's heart ached for this man in front of her. Surely she truly loved him if she couldn't stand to see him hurt like this. If she couldn't stand for him to sound so uncertain. "I just needed a bit of a breather, Nik."

"I am truly sorry for what happened," he said, his voice rough. His gaze studied hers as if trying to determine if she believed him or not.

She shrugged one shoulder and forced a small smile. "It was an accident. I know you didn't mean it."

He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her to hold her there. He pressed kiss after kiss against the top of her head.

"I feel as thought I've missed something, brother," that smooth accented voice came again. "Are you going to introduce me to your little friend?"

Klaus sighed and pulled back so Lucy could see the woman in question. "Lucy, this is my sister, Rebekah. Rebekah, this is Lucy. Be nice."

"When am I not nice, Nik?" Rebekah asked as her gaze ran over Lucy.

Lucy could almost hear Klaus's eyes roll.

"And how long have you known my brother?" the female Original asked.

"Long enough," he answered for her. "Gloria have you found anything?"

"It's hard to find something when you don't have anything to go on," the witch snapped back.

"So use me," Rebekah said and moved toward the other woman, Lucy forgotten. "I only wore it for a thousand years."

"Now see, this one offers a solution." Gloria took the vampire's hand in her own.

"What are they looking for?" Lucy asked Klaus.

"A necklace that my sister seems to have misplaced." Irritation hung heavy in his words. But that wasn't what captured Lucy's attention. No, that would be the slightly panicked look on Stefan's face. He tried to mask it, but she knew him too well. Whatever this necklace was for, he certainly didn't want them to find it.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: I don't know why I never finished this other than I wasn't happy with it and have plans to rewrite it but that's not fair to all of you. So here's the ending. I'm sorry if it feels rushed but this is honestly where I always planned on ending it.

* * *

"I found it," Gloria said, drawing Lucy's attention to her.

"Well, where is it?" Rebekah demanded.

"It doesn't work like that. I get images that's all. I'll have to go back in."

"So, do it," Klaus said.

"It will take time," Gloria insisted.

"We'll wait." Klaus's jaw was tight and Lucy could tell he was reaching the end of his patience.

"I'm sure you would, but you're harshing my ju-ju." Gloria waved a hand through the air in dismissal.

"Let's go. We can come back later," Stefan suggested, patting Klaus on the back. "Besides I'm hungry."

"The girl can stay. I can use her help," Gloria said.

Klaus looked as if he wanted to argue as his gaze darted between Lucy and the witch. Rebekah elbowed him in the side. "Fine. We'll return later. Nothing had better happen to her. Do you understand, witch?"

"I understand. Now get out."

Klaus kissed Lucy's temple then the three of them left.

"I think it time you and I had a chat," Gloria said. She gestured to the chair across from her.

Lucy sat cautiously, not entirely trusting this witch. She reached out and grasped Lucy's hands in her own. "That hybrid half-breed compelled you. I can help."

She thought about protesting. About pulling her hands away and leaving, but then she remembered the letter in her pocket. "All right."

"Close your eyes," Gloria instructed. "This may hurt for a bit but it will go away after a moment."

Lucy gave a slight nod and closed her eyes. She sucked in a breath and held it, preparing herself. The other woman began to recite the words for the spell in a soft voice. A tingling sensation ran through Lucy's body as if it were waking up from being asleep for too long. Another moment later and excruciating pain tore through her head. Lucy screamed as her body convulsed. She tried to rip her hands away from the witch but the woman held on with an unnatural strength.

Finally, the pain eased and Lucy felt like she could breathe again. "What did you…" She didn't complete the sentence as emotion swamped her. Aggravation. Fear. And love. So much love. Love for Elijah. But most of all, love for Damon.

Lucy pressed the back of her hand to her mouth as a sob left her. The things she'd done to him, said to him. He must be heartbroken. And Elijah. She'd just left him daggered on Klaus's say so. Fuck him. Even as she had the thought, part of her felt bad for the hybrid. She was furious with him for compelling her, but she couldn't deny that he had been genuinely kind to her. That didn't mean she was going to let this shit continue.

"Thank you," she told Gloria.

The other woman smiled and patted Lucy's hands. "You're welcome, child."

"I need to make a call."

"I thought you might. You go right ahead."

She pulled out her phone, her hands shaking. She stepped away from the table as she called Damon. He answered on the second ring. "Yeah?"

Lucy smiled. He never checked to see who was calling. "Damon." That was all she got out before she began to tear up.

"Lucy?" The shock was evident in his voice. "Are you okay? Has something happened?"

"I am so sorry." And with those words she could no longer hold back her sorrow. Her shoulders shook with her sobs.

"Has something happened to Stefan?"

She shook her head even though he couldn't see. She sucked in a breath as she struggled to gain control of her emotions. Damon kept spouting questions that she was unable to answer in her present state. Finally, she calmed enough to talk to him. "Damon," she said again, stopping his rambling. She waited until he fell silent to speak again. "I love you."

The silence stretched. When he spoke, his voice cracked with emotion. "Could you repeat that, please?"

Lucy let out a watery laugh. "I love you, Damon Salvatore."

"Thank fuck you're back, baby. God, I missed you."

"I missed me, too. And I missed you. Even though I didn't know you were what was missing, I felt it."

"Where are you? I'll come get you."

"We're still in Chicago, but I can't just leave. Not without Stefan and Elijah."

"Damn it, Lucy. It is not your job to save everyone. Stefan can take care of himself and Elijah is fine for the moment. Just come home." Irritation was heavy in his tone.

"I can't, Damon. I'm back. All of me. That means I don't leave my friends behind. I'll be home as soon as I can." She hung up without giving him a chance to reply. She also ignored the phone when it started to ring almost immediately.

The door opened and Lucy looked over, surprised to see Stefan had returned already. "Hey, Lucy. I need to have a word with Gloria. Why don't you go get something to eat then give Klaus a call?"

"I'd rather rescue Elijah and head for home."

He tilted his head to look her over. "Lucy?" he asked just as his phone began to ring.

"That'll be your brother."

Stefan glanced at his phone before frowning at her.

She grinned in response. "Got my brain back. Let's go."

* * *

Things hadn't gone quite as planned. It was now three days later and Lucy still hadn't seen Damon. She fidgeted in her seat as the private plane taxied on the runway.

Elijah chuckled. "He'll be there, Lucy. I promise. Calm yourself."

She nodded but said nothing. Once Stefan and she had awakened Elijah, the decision was made to meet their friends anywhere but Mystic Falls. Until they had some answers about what Elena's survival had to do with Klaus not being able to make hybrids, it was better to avoid him. Elijah had generously paid for everyone that might be a target to leave Virginia. And they'd all split up.

Stefan, Elena and Jeremy were somewhere in Canada. Tyler and Caroline headed to France. Jenna and Ric were spending some time in the Caribbean. No one knew where Bonnie disappeared to, but she took Matt with her. Elijah had obviously stayed with Lucy and they were preparing to meet Damon in Greece. Lucy tapped her foot as she waited for the plane to park so she could finally see the love of her life again. It felt like ages since she'd seen his face.

As for Klaus, well, Lucy had heard from him just before they got on their flight. "Hello."

"I didn't think you'd answer, love." His sad voice tugged at her heart.

"I probably shouldn't have. I kind of missed your voice though."

"You did?"

"You were mine for a whole summer, Klaus. Whether those feelings were real or not, its hard to just brush them aside. But Damon owns my heart and it's time for me to go home."

"But, you're not home, sweetheart. Because I am standing in your home and there seems to be quite the lack of anyone that could actually be of assistance to me." He didn't sound angry. In fact, if she had to pinpoint his tone, she'd say he sounded almost amused.

"Then you got my note."

He hummed in agreement. "And the necklace."

She stayed silent not knowing what else to say. It was all in the letter she'd sent to Mystic Falls with Stefan.

"Why?" he finally asked.

"Why what?"

"Why do you care? You should hate me."

"I told you, you were mine once. I think someday we could be friends again. As long as you don't kill any of my family."

The silence stretched again until he cleared his throat. "I'd like that, I think." And that had been the end of their conversation.

Lucy brought her mind back to the present as the pilot came back to lower the stairs of the small plane. She glanced at Elijah and he smirked as he gestured for her to go ahead. She scrambled out of her seat and paused in the doorway as her eyes took in everything around them. There. Standing a short distance away was Damon. He wore sunglasses and had his hands shoved in his pockets as he waited.

She ran to him as quickly as she could and still pass for human. When she was close enough, she lunged at him and he caught her. If she were human, her ribs would be cracked from the force of his hold. She buried her face in his neck and inhaled the crisp, clean scent of him. Damon loosened his grip just enough to look her over and press kisses to her face. "Baby girl, I missed you so much. I love you."

"I love you, too."

And as Damon held you tight once more, you realized that Klaus was wrong. Your home wasn't in Mystic Falls. It was right here, holding you. And you were never leaving it again.


End file.
